


Against All Odds

by CSM



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Olicity from third person POV, Season 3 AU, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-05-01 16:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5213366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSM/pseuds/CSM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 3x14. Time Travel. Going back in time. Changing the future is not an exact science but he knows if anyone can do it, it’s her. If there is one thing Eleanor Queen can do, is be a hero. After all she has heroes’ blood pumping through her veins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Despite the warnings I hope that some of you are still going to give this story a chance. I’ve been working on a time travel fic and I thought I’d share the short prologue. Warnings it’s heavy on the angst. 
> 
> Major Character Death takes place in the FUTURE.
> 
> The story itself will be told from Oliver and Felicity’s daughter’s POV and takes place post 3x14.

**Spring 2037**

Barry Allen stands in an abandoned Star Labs, his heart clenching at the sight. Two decades full of memories fill these walls and sometimes he can’t believe what has come of it. There are cracks along the walls, layers of dust gathered along the semi circular table. The mannequin that used to stand so proudly on display -- housing his suit --  is now down to its bare bones, a limb missing. It seems fitting that Barry is back here, in this room that basically represents what his life has become in the last few years.

The scraping of metal against his collarbone though reminds him why he’s doing this in the first place. His fingers clench around the gold wedding bands, the small bit of light in the room catching on his late wife’s engagement ring. This is one of the many reasons why he’s doing this, he can hear the sounds of sirens echoing in the distance, a sound that has become as natural as birds chirping in Central City.

This was not the future he envisioned, not the future he thinks Harrison Wells spoke of either. He shudders at the man in question; it’s been almost 2 decades since he’s thought about him.

“Uncle Barry?” A soft timid voice calls out, bringing him back to reality, “I know this was a ridiculous plan, we don’t have to do this if you don’t…”

“I really don’t want to.” Barry says bluntly, his mind numb at the thought of his past mistakes.

After all the alternate worlds and time travel all those years ago, he made a promise to himself to never mess with the cosmic order of things. He hates the fact that he can’t even take her there himself, after all if he could have gone back in time he would have done it on his own and left her out of this. He hasn’t ran in so many years, his body aches for it like a long lost friend.

Yet here he is looking at his 20 year old niece, wondering if he’s making the right decisions, sending her off into this abyss of the unknown. She’s dressed in an old, worn pair of blue jeans, a purple hoodie thrown over a tank top and her runners. She looks so much smaller, reminds him of the small child he used to know. He made a promise to his friends that he’d keep her safe, keep her out of harm’s way, but yet here he is throwing her head first into the unknown.

Granted he knows this entire plan was her idea and she came to him rather than just going off half cocked on her own, but he can’t help but wonder if he is giving her a death sentence by helping her achieve her goal.

“But….you’re right this is the _only_ way.” Barry says solemnly. He looks at the various trinkets on the old table and frowns. “Elle, you can’t take those back with you. Twenty years in the past, those things are all but a pipe dream.”

Ellie frowns at his words, her blond hair whipping against her face. She looks at her electronics with a crestfallen expression. Her fingertips graze the glass plated devices with such love, and care it takes Barry back to eons ago when another blond showed electronics the same kind of affection. He shakes his head, pulling his thoughts out of the past yet again. He blames it on the room, there have been too many memories filling this room. The ghosts of the past may very well be haunting him. If it were true he knows Cisco would be the first one to visit him. He can’t help but smile in memory of his fallen friend. It’s been awhile since he’s been able to think of his friends, of his family, in such light.

“Uncle Barry!” Ellie calls out in exasperation and Barry just knows it’s not the first time she said his name. She’s gathered her blonde hair into a ponytail now and Barry is beginning to wonder if a baseball hat is the most feasible option to hide her identity.

Ellie takes one look at him and rolls her eyes. “You worry too much, Uncle Barry. No one is going to know who I am. Unless this thing gives out on me mid travel and drops me to 6 years in the past instead of 22.”

“Let’s not jinx it.” Barry pleads. He places his hand on the less than sturdy table and watches as Ellie packs her bag. “Now remember, your goal is not to go looking for anyone. Keep your distance at all costs. We do not need you messing up the timeline.”

“I thought the whole point of this trip was for me to change things?” Ellie quips.

“Eleanor.” Barry warns. He knows she’s teasing; he knows that humour is how she compensates when she’s nervous. “Look a lot things happened in 2016 and I need you to fight the urge to fix them. It sounds easy enough, but once you meet people….people you care about...it makes it ten times harder to resist. No matter where you end up and who you can save, you need to ignore it and just focus on your goal. Find the stone and bring it to Star Labs, give it to Cisco. He is the only one you’re allowed to come into contact with, are we clear?”

He watches as Ellie’s shoulders drop the cool facade she’s adopted the past few hours finally slipping away. His heart clenches when he sees her fiddling with the platinum wedding band on her right middle finger, even from his vantage point he can see the emerald stones glistening in the dimly lit room. He takes a cautious step towards her, his hand hovering nearby. Her outward appearance and demeanour just screams her mother so much that Barry forgets sometimes that she truly is her father’s daughter. “Ellie.”

She turns to look at him her eyes red, “I wanted to just see them. I know we agreed on Cisco cause...I... I don’t need to talk to them, but I’ve forgotten the sound of their voices. It’s been five years, what if I forget what they look like next?”

Barry sighs, opening his arms as she takes a step forward and buries her face in his chest. Despite, everything she’s been through in the past 5 years, Barry seems to forget that she’s still a kid. He rubs her back soothingly, remembering a time when she was so small she practically fit the length of his forearm. “Is this why you came to me with the idea of using Cisco’s E.G.G...that really was the lamest name he has ever come up with.”

“It’s a play on words especially with time travel, which came first the chicken or the egg? If you go back in time is your past still the past, or the future? If you do change something, then your past is no longer your past, so then what really came first?”

Barry grins at the typical ramble -- his niece hates mysteries. That particular conversation is something she and Cisco use to talk about for hours at end when she was still a kid. Barry places a kiss at her temple and pulls back to look at her seriously. “Ellie, you know you can’t warn them about what happened. Hopefully, if you leave the breadcrumbs for Cisco we will be avoiding all of this and most importantly you’ll have a better place to grow up.”

Ellie nods, sobering up at the severity of his words, she bites her bottom lip with uncertainty, “What if I fail?”

Barry sighs knowing their is no words of reassurance that he can give her. He can’t tell her that she is their only hope. He can’t put that kind of responsibility on her shoulders. He made a promise to his friends that he’d protect her no matter the cost and in this instance he takes a page out of his parenting book instead of his superhero book, “Then we’ll figure something else out.”

“That’s a lie,” Ellie says bluntly, her eyes narrowing, but that typical annoyance she has so reminiscent of her father, is not present. Instead she just sighs deeply. Her eyes well up and she pulls Barry into a fierce hug. “Thank you for always looking out for me, Uncle Barry.”

“It’s you and me against the world, kid.” Barry echoes his words from four years ago, his emotions getting the best of him.

Ellie squeezes Barry one last time and pulls back wiping her eyes quickly. She takes her backpack and slings it over her shoulders, the small purple E.G.G that very much resembles its name is clutched in her hands. She fingers the buttons at the very top nervously and looks at Barry panic stricken. “What if I appear in Star Labs? How do I explain that? Maybe we should have done this in a non-disclosed area, just in case. None of you are particularly fond of time travel in 2016.”

“Hey, relax that won’t happen. We know how the talisman in the E.G.G works. It requires you to think about the time and place. You’re going to think about Star City. I gave you enough money to get you by for at least a month, but you shouldn’t need more than that. Just try and stay off anyone’s radar, but if you do happen to cross paths, be it in Jitters or a random electronic store then remember your name is Ava.”

Ellie grins at Barry sheepishly. “I have to check out the vintage tech, Uncle Barry. Don’t deprive me of that. I mean we’re talking iPad Pro and Mircosoft’s Surface Book. That’s so old school I have never seen one.”

Barry can’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “You’re such your mother’s daughter.”

Ellie grins proudly at his words, “If the fire didn’t happen at our house in Ivy Town, I would have been able to see her Windows 95 _desktop_. She was such a hoarder. Daddy always complained about that.”

“Yea, I’m sure she had Zach Morris’ phone-booth like phone as well.” Barry quips.

“I don’t know who that is,” Ellie says her nose wrinkling in confusion. “You’re so _old_ Uncle Barry.”

Barry points a warning finger at Ellie and the girl only giggles in return. They both sober up and sigh; the reality of what she’s about to do comes crashing back to them. They both know that once she leaves, either he will cease to exist or she will appear in a few moments having failed them all. Neither outcome sounds pleasing to him, but he knows it is what needs to be done. Despite all the heartache and pain over the years, he’d never want to forget the past five years with his niece, as cheesy as it sounds she saved him in his darkest hour. He knows what she is doing won’t just be to save their families, but also save their cities as well.

He watches as she holds the E.G.G in her hand and looks at him one last time before she presses the buttons on either side of the E.G.G and he watches as she fades away before his very eyes.

He knows she was never meant for this kind of life but if there is one thing Eleanor Queen can do is be a hero. After all she has heroes’ blood pumping through her veins.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for giving this story a chance! It's been fun writing it :).
> 
> Heads up on time line wise. This takes place post 3x14 more precisely probably a day or two after Oliver and Thea returned from Lian Yu. So Ray? might be mentioned but is not going to be in it and Felicity is not dating him at all

Once her head stops spinning, she slowly opens her eyes and takes in her surroundings while  still on high alert. She’s in an alleyway, next to an abandoned building. There are no sirens, no vehicles. There is nothing to be heard. She looks at the E.G.G in her hand and worries that she might have gone back too far in the past.

“Why is it always an alley?” She mutters to herself. She looks up at the sky, the dark clouds looming above her. “Why is it always at night?”

“Hey, sugar you lost?”

A deep voice calls out from the shadows and Ellie’s body tenses, going into high alert once again. She slips the E.G.G. into the pocket of her jeans and then she spins around to the source of the voice. She grips the strap of her old backpack, the stray edges tickling the palm of her hand.

“What you got there little girl?”  A young man, no older than Ellie steps out from the shadows dressed in all black. His eyes are bloodshot and he’s looking at her with a wild expression, Ellie is almost certain he’s on something.

“Don’t touch my bag,” Ellie warns already heading towards the street.

She gasps in surprise when another man almost towering over her 5 foot frame steps up in front of her, laughing maniacally at her expression. “Where you goin’ in such a hurry, baby?”

He makes a move to grab her backpack but Ellie is too quick for him and side steps his advances. She bites back a smile at the surprised look on his face when he stumbles. “It’s none of your business.”

She takes a step away from the tall dude, but the short shuffle behind her has her spinning around and her hand flying to catch a greasy hand before bloodshot eyes could blink. She grips his thumb between her hand and twists it forcefully, revelling in the way the man winces in pain.

“Like I said it’s _none of your business_ ,” she growls. She twists the man’s thumb forcefully dislocating it with a final pop. The man howls in pain as he staggers back, and collapses against a wall.

“You fucking bitch,” he hisses out in pain, cradling his dislocated thumb against his chest.

“So I’ve been told,” Ellie remarks dryly. She barely has time to turn around before she’s yanked back by her knapsack.

She does not even give the tall guy time to react before she is spinning on her right heel, her left leg raising off the ground and delivering a swift kick right in the nose. This time she hears the crack of breaking bones and she tugs back her bag just as tall guy goes crumpling to the ground. “I told you not to touch my bag.”

She presses the worn MIT bag to her chest, uncurling the kinks in the sides where the man grabbed it. The stitches have unfrayed in numerous places; there are patchworks that have their own patchworks; the canvas-like bag is as wrinkled as they come, but Ellie clings to it like a lifeline. She’s so busy examining the bag she does not hear the footsteps behind her until she feels someone grab her by the ponytail yanking her backward. The only reason her baseball hat remains on her head, is because she slipped her ponytail through the strap.

She growls in annoyance and bends her arm jabbing her elbow in the direction of her attacker. When she hears a grunt in response she uses his distraction to her advantage and she yanks herself out of his grasp. She barely takes two steps before a pair of hands grab her around the throat and she gasps out in surprise. She grabs onto her assailant’s hands, her nails digging into his fingers, but he won’t loosen it.

Her vision begins to become spotty and through her lightheadedness, the only thought running through her mind is that she can’t believe she failed her mission before she even started. She can feel the oxygen slowly depleting in her system, her limbs going lax as she thinks about her parents, her Uncle Barry, all the people she has failed.

Then she hears it, the familiar _thwick_ as an arrow cuts through the still night air. Her assailant releases his grip almost immediately and she grasps her own throat coughing violently.Her eyes water as she tries to catch her breath. She looks to her right just as two more _swishes_ fly past her ears, but her vision is blurry and she can barely make out the hooded figure standing on a fire escape pointing an arrow at her fallen attackers.

Her heart ceases as her vision begins to clear, the shadow falling over the figure making it impossible for her to see. She clutches her bag to her chest, eyes wide as she watches on, hope building within her. Could it really have been that simple? She knows she made a promise to her Uncle Barry, but she’s not going to just walk away from an opportunity if her father is standing _right_ there.

She’s so distracted at the not so mysterious stranger she does not hear one of the goons behind her move until she feels a sharp pain in her forearm. She hisses in pain when she sees her hoodie torn and red blood begins to seep along the frayed material.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

She clutches her arm and spins around in a split second, surprising her attacker and before he has time to react she’s raising her leg and slamming her boot into his chest sending the man flying back into the brick wall, hitting his head against with a thud.  

She then hears the sound of footsteps approaching and she spins around, her arms out defensively, her hurt forearm staggering slightly.

“Just want to check your arm.” The modulated voice is terrible, but the dark red hood is obvious and Ellie’s heart deflates only slightly in disappointment

It’s been years but Ellie can recognize that ridiculously defined jaw anywhere, even with the red mask. After all, where she comes from, supersuits are things of the past. He takes a cautious step towards her, her three attackers are all knocked out from either Ellie’s doing or the red hood’s and the moment Ellie sees his face, she utters the first thing that comes to mind, “ _Roy._ ”

She realizes belatedly that was not the thing to say. Roy staggers backward, and he has his bow positioned before she can blink. “Who are you?”

“Shouldn’t you be _denying_ who you are, rather than asking me who I am?” She can’t help but quip. “Isn’t that some kind of superhero 101 thing?”

Roy doesn’t move, but she can see his eyes narrowing behind the mask. “I’ll ask you again, who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Sin’s!” Ellie explains quickly. Never before grateful at her inquisitive mind at 10 years old, that would demand to know every story since her parents met.

Roy’s look does nothing to hide his doubt, but he lowers his bow nonetheless. He then looks at her forearm that she’s cradling against her chest. “C’mon, I know somewhere we can go so I can take a look at that.”

It’s Ellie’s turn to narrow her eyes now, and she looks at him suspiciously. “I haven’t even told you my name yet.”

“We all have our secrets,” Roy says with a shrug of his shoulder. He looks across at the fallen attackers. “Besides it looks as though you can take care of yourself. That’s some serious power you have in that kick.”

Ellie cheeks pink up at the praise, the only person that has ever seen her fight is no longer alive to appreciate it and so the praise is a welcome surprise, but she can’t ignore the small pang in her chest when she thinks about her fallen aunt. Not that her Uncle Barry hasn’t been helpful in that department, but ever since he lost his speed, she’s tried her best to keep her training the last few years a secret.

A secret she is still paying for almost a year later. Ellie presses her fingers against her temple rolling her fingers once, twice and then breathing deeply. She counts back from three and when she opens her eyes Roy is looking at her, alarmed. “What?”

This time it’s Roy who shakes his head in return, “You just reminded me of someone.”

“I’m sure many people countdown to calm themselves.” Ellie brushes off, avoiding eye contact as she clutches her bag to her chest, wincing in pain when she remembers the cut on her arm.

“C’mon let’s get that checked out before it gets infected.”

“I’m not going to the hospital.” Ellie all but growls, unsure exactly where her uncle wants to take her.

Roy snorts as he gestures to his suit. “Do I look like someone who frequents ERs?”

Ellie shrugs her shoulder, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I don’t know. You might want to visit the children’s ward and cheer them up.”

“Pretty sure their parents would have me arrested before that,” Roy says dryly. “Us suits aren’t exactly _welcomed_ here. Or tolerated? I can never keep up with SCPD stands on us most of the time.”

Ellie nods as he speaks, following him silently, her mind starting to piece together what time she is in. The fact that Roy is standing next to her in a red suit luckily gives her a very small window to determine what year she came back to. The fact of the matter is however, she definitely overshot with the E.G.G and now she is much further back than she originally planned 2014 and 2015 weren’t exactly good years for her parents. Well for the most of 2015.

She just crosses her fingers and hopes that it is not Christmas 2014. She did not travel over 20 decades to come back to the one time her family thought her father had died to save his sister. She know she made a promise to her Uncle Barry but she _refuses_ to watch her mother suffer that loss, not if she could prevent it.

She is literally disregarding the very first rule of time travel.

This was a terrible idea.

“Hey kid, you okay?” Roy’s concerned voice pulls Ellie from her battling thoughts.

“I’m not a kid,” Ellie snaps automatically, always hating that particular nickname, the throbbing in her arm beginning to increase. She looks up at the green ‘Verdant’ and frowns in confusion.

“You old enough to go in a club?” Roy counters.

Ellie scowl in return only earns a laugh from her hood wearing uncle and he presses a hand to her shoulder ushering her into the closed nightclub. “I’m the manager. We’re closed for the time being, but we have a first aid kit.”

“Can you take off that modulator? It’s creeping me out.” Ellie says, she doesn’t bother to point out that those modulated voices still rule her nightmares _years_ later.

Roy seems to have to picked up on her tone and she hears the familiar beep of the modulator cutting off. “I’ll be right back.”

“You have suture kits just lying around here?” Ellie calls after him as he disappears behind the bar.

She tosses her bag onto the counter and slowly peels off her hoodie wincing when the material sticks to her forearm. She slides onto the stool and examines the cut closely. She grabs the bottle of vodka on the counter, uncapping it easily and then pouring the clear liquid over her wound.

“I’m guessing this is not your first rodeo with these kind of injuries?” Roy asks with a tone of disbelief as he tosses the suture kit next to her. “You going to do that yourself?”

Ellie scowls. “I’m right handed.”

Roy silently takes the kit and opens it up with practised ease. He looks at Ellie with a scrutiny that she is not all too comfortable with and then points at the old scar at Ellie’s collarbone, “That another war wound?”

Ellie looks at the scar and suddenly smiles in memory, her smile surprises her uncle, but Roy silently waits for her to continue as he begins to administer the lidocaine to the tissue surrounding her cut. “Broken collarbone, I got this when I was five. I wanted to prove to the boys in my class that I could climb to the top of balcony in our school’s auditorium, and well let’s just say mary janes aren’t meant for climbing wooden pillars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mother so mad.”

“What kind of mad?” Roy asks his meaning clear, his hand hovering over Ellie’s wound as he looks her in the eye, almost like he’s trying to read her mind, it’s disconcerting to say the least. Her Uncle Roy has always been able to read Ellie like a book, no matter how little they saw of each other in her life.

“Oh _no_! My mother wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Ellie can’t help but protest the very thought, she then wrinkles her nose. “Well that’s a lie, she _really_ hated bugs. She was...was an amazing mom. She’d never.”

“I’m sorry.” Roy whispers sympathetically.

He pats the wound dry, covering it with a bandage and then squeezes her arm in comfort and Ellie has to fight everything in her not to wrap her arms around him like she did as a kid whenever he’d visit them. This 20 something year old kid is not her uncle, she can’t go to him about her troubles and expect him to give her sage advice, or just cheer her up when her parents are irritating her. This is _not_ her uncle Roy, he might sound and act like him, but she knows that he’s not who she thinks he is, and if this is how she’s reacting to seeing her uncle that she’s only seen a handful of times over the course of her life, she can’t even begin to imagine what would happen if she sees her Aunt Thea or worse her parents. She is finally beginning to understand why her Uncle Barry warned her about staying away from her loved ones.

She did not do months of research, venture back into her abandoned house to gather intel and drill her uncle for weeks about information about his friends and family for her to mess this up just cause she can’t hold her tongue.

She needs to get the hell out of Starling City before she ruins her perfectly crafted plan.

“It happened a few years ago.” Ellie supplies, and she has to bite the inside of her cheek to hold back her groan of disbelief.

She just gave herself a mental pep talk and already she’s airing out all her dirty laundry to her uncle and it was a good pep talk.

“It doesn’t make it any easier.” Roy supplies.

He disappears behind the counter, but before she could question him though, he pops up with two tumblers and pours them each a liberal amount of alcohol. At her raised eyebrow he shrugs. “You look like you could use the drink. I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Ellie grins at his comment, this man might not be her uncle but without even realizing it he does the very thing they have done all her life. Whenever he would visit, he’d sneak some sweets that Ellie was not allowed to have after dinner and they would sit on the roof of her house and share them together. Roy always promising her that he wouldn’t tell if she didn’t.

Ellie sniffles slightly hiding it behind her glass as she takes a sip of the vodka, this time her sniffles aren’t because of her parents. Coming back to the past is turning out be much more difficult than she ever anticipated.

She looks up when she sees a bare hand offered up to her, Roy has his hood pulled down and his mask hanging around his neck, looking at her expectantly, “Roy Harper.”

“Ellie.” It slips out before she catches herself, and she just sighs in disbelief, she really fails at this time travel thing. “Fuck me.”

Roy’s eyes widen comically, and in hindsight Ellie should have realized how that particular comment would appear to him, but before she can apologize a low growl alerts them that they are no longer alone.

“Roy! Are you using your suit to pick up girls?”

An all too familiar angry voice rings out, the sound of high heels echos on the concrete floor as their wearer approaches them. Ellie closes her eyes not believing her rotten luck, not that she should even be surprised. It figures the moment she decides to distance herself from any possibility of running into her family her aunt shows up. And what’s worse she’s almost pretty sure her aunt is jealous of Ellie and Roy and just the thought of that makes Ellie want to puke.

“Thea Queen, Owner. And I’m almost 100% certain I can have you arrested for underage drinking.”

Ellie is so fucking screwed.

Her aunt’s nose is turned up in disgust as she takes in Ellie’s worn hoodie and jeans, her eyes lingering on Ellie’s Seattle Mariners baseball cap for a brief moment before she looks across at Roy accusingly. “Is she even _legal_? Roy does the Arrow know that you are….”

“Please, do not finish that sentence.” Ellie all but begs, she ignores Roy’s offended expression, and slides off the stool to look her aunt in the eye.

The cropped hair, the distrust in her eye, it's not a look Ellie is used to and the realization causes a familiar ache in Ellie’s heart to resurface. Her aunt looks young, so much younger than Ellie could imagine. Thea’s dark brown eyes are the only thing that seems familiar to Ellie, but the hard look of distrust is not. Ellie gathers her wits along with her backpack and looks at her aunt, trying to appear much stronger than she feels.

“Who are you?”

This was a mistake. She shouldn't have come back here. She was not ready to see these faces again.

Ellie braces her injured arm against her chest, holding back her wince. “I am no one. Just passing through. Roy helped me out with some assholes who can’t mind their own business.”

Thea’s eyes narrow as she looks at Ellie, the scrutiny is familiar to Ellie, only it's usually accompanied by Thea trying to figure out if Ellie is lying to her or not. Nevertheless, Ellie finds herself squirming in her spot, her grip tightening on the strap of her bag. But to Ellie’s surprise Thea spins to face her uncle looking at him accusingly.

“You told a random stranger who you are? Do you not know how dangerous that is? Hell you didn't even want to tell _me_. I had to figure it out for myself.”

“I already knew!” Ellie replies quickly, wincing when Thea turns on her her eyes narrowing and full of suspicion. That look she is not use to, the level of distrust and just completely devoid of emotion cuts Ellie to her core “I’m a friend of Sin’s….a friend that is going to get out of your hair and not get between whatever this is.”

She gestures between the two her nose wrinkling in disgust yet again, she does not need to be involved in whatever is going on between these two. She’s vague on their story in this time and does not need to step in nor does she want to, hell she’s still not sure what year it is.

Roy’s Arsenal and her aunt Thea knows about it, that gives her just about... fuck, no good came from the winter of 2015. Her parents aren’t even together yet, she should have never introduced herself to Roy.

She needs to get out and get out now.

Ellie ignores Roy’s offended expression and swipes her bag from off the counter with her good hand, “Thanks for the help.”

She’s out of the door before either of them could stop her and question her, her legs going as fast as they will allow without her breaking out into a run. Her heart hammers in her chest as she keeps replaying that look her aunt gave her. Her Uncle Barry warned her about this, about the feeling she will get when she meets someone she loves and when they look right through her, like they don’t even know her.

She just didn’t think it would hurt so much. The lack of recognition was one thing, but for her aunt to just automatically not trust her? Ellie didn’t think it would hurt as much as it did. Her Aunt Thea was the only person that got through to Ellie after her parents died.

* * *

 

_Fall 2032_

_Fifteen year old Ellie sits on the roof of her house the city lights reflecting in blue eyes void of any emotion. The chilly winter air nips at her bare skin, blowing her newly dyed blonde hair in her face, but she’s too numb to move, too numb to care._

_Today is the first day she does not have family constantly hovering over her. Today is the first day she only has her thoughts to herself. Her mind replaying the moment her uncle John walked into the house, his eyes filled with tears, in the fifteen years  she’s known her uncle, she’s never seen him cry before._

_Tears begin to fill yet again, the cold air almost stinging against her face now, but Ellie only soaks in it, allows it to numb her inside and out._

_“Ellie! Ellie! Eleanor!” She ignores her aunt Thea’s calls, wrapping her arms around her stomach and crawling into a ball._

_She just wants it to stop, she wants the pain to stop._

_One more moment, that’s all she wants. She just wants more moment with them, to tell them that she’s sorry. Tell them that she’s not angry at them for leaving._

_She just wants them to come back._

_She wants her Dad to tell her those cheesy jokes that has her rolling her eyes._

_She wants her Mom to tucker her into bed as she sings Ellie’s favourite song from Mulan._

_She wants them back_

_A large blanket suddenly engulfs her and the warmth starts starts seeping through her skin. Hands on her shoulders rubbing vigorously against her skin, soft words lost among the howling wind._

_“Ellie. Baby bird.”_

_“Mommy?” Ellie whips around at once, but her heart crumples when she sees her aunt Thea with matching dark circles, her eyes red rimmed and Ellie knows her aunt has been crying just as much as Ellie has._

_“C’mon, let’s get you inside.” Thea takes hold of Ellie’s shoulders and hauls her to her feet, and Ellie just allows her to pull her along._

_“I just want it to stop hurting.” Ellie confesses, her voice breaking as they step into the chilly attic._

_“I know. There is something I want to show you.” Thea’s voice is raw as she speaks and Ellie doesn’t even want to look at her._

_Ellie doesn’t want to see her own pain reflected in her aunt’s eyes._

_“Tea, I just want to be alone.” Ellie begs, the childhood nickname she called her aunt slipping out._

_She resists her aunt’s urges to pull her out out the cocoon of the cold attic. The only place Ellie has found solitude since that fatal day. It’s the only place that does not remind her of her parents. The attic is filled with old boxes and a rickety old bed that apparently was a gift for her father from her mother (Ellie has blocked out the reason why a bed of all thing was a gift) but other than that the room is bare and just allows her to breathe the first time in days._

_“You will be, just come with me.” her aunt urges, soft hands on Ellie’s back rubbing it in slow soothing motions, just like when Ellie was a kid._

_Ellie sighs but allows her aunt to drag her out of the attic and down the first flight of stairs, they continue until the head to the basement. The basement that had been converted into a fighting space years ago for her father._

_Thea walks to the left side of the room and tosses two of the boxing gloves at Ellie, and Ellie fumbles with them, but she is able to grab the tails before either slips between her fingers._

_“Do you want me to beat the crap out of you?” Ellie snaps angrily, her confusion evident. This is not what she had in mind._

_She was not really sure what she thought her Aunt had planned, but it certainly wasn’t this._

_“You could try.” Thea says with a scoff, the first hint of a smile tugging on her lips in days. “You’re angry at your father.”_

_“Aunt Thea.” Ellie warns, her fingers clenching around the strap of the boxing glove, her knuckles turning white._

_She did not sign up for a psych session._

_“He went to look for your Mom and he never came back.” Thea continues as she spins a sparring stick, Ellie can see the anger rising within her aunt. “We all accepted that we’d loss your Mom and he takes off to find her. He left you.”_

_“Stop it.”_

_“He left you, Ellie. It’s okay to be angry.”_

_“Stop!”_

_“He abandoned you. His only daughter. He went chasing after a ghost…”_

_“STOP IT!” Ellie screams angrily, “Yes! I’m angry, are you happy, now?”_

_“Put on the gloves.” Thea instructs, her own eyes brimmed with tears, when Ellie doesn’t budge Thea narrows her eyes, “Eleanor.”_

_Ellie huffs but slips on the gloves nonetheless allowing Thea to help her tie them in place. “What now?”_

_Thea spins on her heel and whacks the punching bag with her sparring stick the sound echoing around the large basement. “Hit it, with all you got. Just like you were taught.”_

_Ellie eyes the punching bag with unease, “you want me to picture, Dad? I don’t know if I can do that… I don’t...I can’t….”_

_“All that anger you felt, you remember that?” Thea prompts almost like she’s aware Ellie’s about to shut down again. “I need to you to channel THAT.”_

_With that final word she whips her stick against the punching bag in anger, “Think about your anger. Let it go. Go on Ellie.”_

_Ellie takes a deep breath, her last conversation with her father playing in her head. She begged him to take her. She begged him to not go. She begged him not to leave her too._

_He promised her that he’d bring back her mother._

_With that final thought Ellie raises her hand and punches the bag with all that she’s got, her body vibrating at the power behind it. She hits it again and again, that conversation playing over in her head. Over and over._

_She suddenly feels an arm wrap around her waist and tug her back and both she and her aunt go tumbling on the ground. Blood is pounding in Ellie’s ears, her chest heaving with ever breath she takes._

_She lies flat on her back looking up at the ceiling and for the first time in days, the vice grip around her heart seems to have loosen._

_Her aunt says nothing, just lies on her side watching Ellie closely, she doesn’t ask Ellie how she feels. She doesn’t ask Ellie to talk, instead she rises to her feet with ease, and holds out her hand to Ellie._

_“Again?”_

* * *

 

Ellie collapses on the motel bed in frustration, the dust gathering around her head only making her cough. It’s bad enough she has to work with ancient internet, but her tablet seen incapable of accessing any of the databases she has on her list. The worn notebook has seen better days, but Ellie wrote down the information for a reason. She looks at her tablet the spinning flower like it’s almost mocking her now, the very reason why she wrote information down.

Time travel 101. Never rely on electronics that are 2 decades before their time to work.

The problem with this latest issue is that  she now needs a computer to use, one that has the capabilities she needs. She needs a secure computer, she’s good, but encrypting decades old computers that she’s only ever seen in videos or in museums are so in her wheelhouse.

There is only one person that can help her and the thought both terrifies and excites Ellie.

She needs her mother’s help.


	3. Chapter 2

Ellie hangs around the back entrance of Verdant later that night, watching as people come and go, the crew going back and forth as they take trash out of the back, she waits until the door is clear and slips through the metal doors.

She pulls down her baseball cap, knowing that if someone sees her dressed in all black and definitely not out clubbing they are going to get suspicious. She slinks along the walls, moving between bartenders and patrons alike, going over the layout of the club in her head, glad that she had the foresight to quiz her uncle about Verdant even though he thought it made no sense since they moved base later in the year.

She finds the door leading to the basement with ease and she pulls out a small diamond shaped knob, a mock up of a skeleton key that her mother made years ago. She presses two of the edges and bright red light turns green almost instantly. She sighs in relief, at least one of the future gadgets work in this time.

Ellie pushes the metal door gently and pauses at the top of the stairs, her ears trained for any noise, but breathes a sigh of relief when she hears nothing. She was hoping that she would be able to slip into the Arrow cave, find the information and then leave without anyone knowing a thing.

She wrinkles her nose when she sees the set up, the entire Arrow cave looks rudimentary compared to what Ellie remembers when she was a kid. There certainly aren’t any play areas that was specifically designed for Ellie and Sara when they were toddlers.

Ellie tosses her bag on a nearby table and then slides into her mother’s chair. She spins around to face the series of computers, but freezes at the familiar sight. The computer’s screens facing her are in sleep mode, the keyboards sitting on the desk slightly askew, but Ellie goes back to a time when she would sit on her mother’s lap playing with a tablet as her mom works the comms. Five year old Ellie wasn’t quite aware of what was going on, at the time she just thought her parents were playing a very intense video game, and when all was said and done, Ellie would chat happily with her dad until he came back to the bunker, none the wiser.

Ellie shakes her head, clearing her mind of her past, she needs to focus and get out of here. She can’t let the past haunt her anymore. She clicks the keyboard with familiar ease, frowning when the lock screen comes up, she expected this, but she thought her override would have by passed it.

Ellie sighs, knowing she has all of three chances before the computers not only go into lockdown but probably alert her mother than someone is trying to get into her systems. While the prospects of seeing her mother is appealing, Ellie knows that this is not the circumstance she should be seeing her mother as well as she is not sure she could handle seeing her mother in the first place.

The brief encounter with her aunt still has her slightly shaken as it is.

Ellie’s fingers click across the keys with easy, and growls when she gets the error message, why did her mother have to be so paranoid?

Ellie bites her lip in frustration, her eyes trained on the blank computer screen as she tries to think up a way to overcome her mother’s passwords the normal way. The sudden sound of high heels clicking on the steel stairs has Ellie freezing in shock. Her heart hammers against her chest as Ellie holds her breath, part of her praying it’s her aunt again, a small part of her hoping its that one voice she hasn’t heard in over half a decade.

“Oliver Queen! You better not be messing with my computers! Who am I kidding of course you are, that’s why I got the notification that someone signed into my computers. I told you the search will take at least 24 hours. I know things with your new BFF are all kinds of stupid, but you...you aren’t Oliver.”

Her backs to the stairs, but Ellie doesn’t dare turn around. She’s not ready, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be. She clenches her fists when her hands refuse to stop shaking. She takes a deep laboured breath, trying to calm her racing heart. The footfalls have stopped and she knows her mother isn’t going to stay quiet for long and will call in the calvary any minute now.

“Who are you?” This time her voice is hard and forceful and Ellie just knows from experience that her half-assed excuses aren’t going to cut it.

“I need your help.” Ellie says her voice wavering slightly.

She bites her lip, cursing for letting her emotions get the best of her and takes a deep breath yet again.

“That wasn’t my question.” Felicity counters

She blinks back the tears that are threatening to fall as she finally spins the chair around to face her mother, who is standing at the weapons table an arrow head clasped between her fingers, very much in a defensive stance.

Her mother’s blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail, glasses perched on her nose and she is impeccably dressed, exactly as Ellie remembers. There are fewer age lines along her face and her dress is a little shorter than Ellie remembers her ever wearing, but for all intents and purpose it is her mother standing in front of her. Ellie just wants to run up to her and hug her and never let go. She needs her mother to tell her that she’s not in over her head and this plan of hers is not farfetched.

Ellie needs her mother to tell her she’s going to be alright.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Ellie promises, raising her hands in defense but doesn’t move from her seat.

Felicity’s grip tightens on the arrow head as she takes a step towards Ellie, her eyes narrowing and filled with suspicion. If Ellie thought her aunt’s hard looks were too painful, it’s nothing compared to complete blank look her mother gives her. The utter lack of recognition from the woman that usually knows Ellie inside out, is more than unnerving, it breaks Ellie’s heart more than she could imagine.

“You say that, but yet you’ve yet to answer my question.”

“Ellie.” Ellie answers mentally slapping herself for giving Roy her real name the night before. “My name is Ellie and I need your help.”

“ _My_ help? Not the…” Felicity gestures to the Arrow suit resting in the mannequin to her left. She then narrows her eyes, “who are you? How did you even find this place and more specifically me?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ellie says dismissively, “I just need to access your computers for about an hour or so to do some searches and then I’ll be out of your hair. You wouldn’t even know I was here. In fact, let’s pretend this never happened, you never saw me.”

Ellie spins around to face the computers and her nose scrunches up as she goes over her words. That was not an example of her having things under control. It’s probably the worst explanation in history, and she knows her mother would not buy that for a second, she just hopes that this younger version of her mother is more gullible.

“Alright, and what exactly are you looking for?” Felicity asks as she walks up to her desk, leaning against the metal table looking at Ellie expectantly.

Ellie has to bite back a groan because she has that tone, that ‘you are talking bullshit Eleanor, but I’ll play, for now’. It’s the tactic that her mother has used for as long as Ellie can remember, on both her and her father. In fact Ellie remembers one specific time, when she was 7 and her dad took her to teach her archery with his bow and arrow set. They had recently renovated their basement as a workout area as well an office for her mother. Ellie wanted to learn how to use her dad’s bow which he was able to cater to Ellie’s size, the arrows however we bit too large for Ellie to handle and they learned that the hard way when one stray arrow embedded itself in her mother’s brand new computer screen on the other side of room. Suffice to say, when her mother found out, her dad tried to get them out of trouble and it failed,  _epically_.

“I can’t tell you.” Ellie says truthfully pulling herself out of those memories, “I just need a secure network to search for some sensitive information.”

Felicity scoffs as she folds her arms and looked at Ellie one eyebrow slightly raised, “Alright, _Madonna_. You clearly know your way around computers if you were able to break in here...then again I’ve been questioning the security of this place for months now...anyway. You also tried to get pass my passwords by using my backdoor method, something the boys don’t even know about. So, I’m going to ask again who are you and what do you want?”

“Madonna?” Ellie asks stupidly

“You know the one name thing, like Cher or Beyonce.” Felicity clarifies but then huffs in exasperation, “Don’t distract me! Now I suggest you tell me what you want before my partners get here cause they are way more intimidating than I am. One of them in particular is very fond of pointy objects.”

Felicity flips the arrow head in her hand to emphasize her point but winces when it nicks her palm, “Ouch, those things are much sharper than they look.”

Ellie can’t help but giggle at that, her mother can be scary when warranted but she can be so silly as well, without even trying. It’s one of those things Ellie’s dad said he loved the most about her. “I hope he’s better with an arrow than you are.”

Felicity narrows her eyes, “I never said it was a   _he_.”

“You mention ‘boys’ earlier and that doesn’t look like something a girl would wear.” Ellie says dryly pointing at the two mannequins.

“Did the League send you?” Felicity asks suspiciously, she then looks at Ellie’s outfit, “Although the hoodie, kicks and baseball cap isn’t exactly screaming league attire. How do you know me?”

“Felicity Smoak, VP of Palmer Tech.” Ellie prattles off, but her mother barely even blinks at that.

“Yea, nope. This is not my day job, how do you know about this job. Do you work for the police or something?” Felicity asks this times her eyes are wide and she’s moving away from Ellie.

“No, not police. I think if I was I’d just arrest you, no?” Ellie counters.

“For what? I don’t think it’s a crime to be in the basement of a club.”

“Uh? Vigilante headquarters 101?” Ellie points out with a laugh, but her mother seems to be hard press on not admitting to anything and for the first time in her life Ellie learns exactly where she learn the art of deflection.

“I haven’t admitted to helping any vigilantes.”

“I’m not here to arrest you, Felicity!” Ellie says in exasperation, but freezes at the way her mother’s name rolls off her tongue.

When Ellie was 12 she went through a stage where she wanted to change her name citing that hers was an old person name and she insisted on calling her parents by their given names till they agreed. Suffice to say her mother nixed that crazy notion the moment Ellie called her Felicity. Naturally, her father was amused by the whole thing so he let Ellie get away with it for the entire week her mother was away on a business trip, but Ellie got a ridiculously long lecture on the importance of respect.

She never did call her mother by her given name ever again, until now that is. Part of Ellie is almost waiting for the ‘loud voice’, but it never comes.

“I’m not letting you near my computers until you tell me who you are.” Felicity says easily, “I’m inclined to believe that you are friend and not foe, but I suspect with all the terrible people we’ve come into contact this year alone, my judgment may be slightly skewed. You don’t exactly scream killer assassin, no offense.”

Ellie snorts in amusement,  “Not looking for trouble just…”

“A mysterious _something_ , that you can’t say, but you need my computers you to look it up.” Felicity remarks dryly, “How do I not know you’re looking up something evil to pin it on me and my unsuspected IP address when the cyber cops come looking for you?”

“Like you don’t have these computers’ IP addresses hidden under a shit load of protective measures and deflections and if they even came near it, you would send them on a wild goose chase to Himalayas or something equally ridiculous and probably ironic too.”

“Have we met before?” Felicity asks. She tilts her head to get a better look at Ellie’s face under the Seattle Mariners baseball cap, “You’re too young to have gone to MIT when I was there, but you clearly are familiar with my, uh, methods. I’m not some kind of legend or anything in MIT now, am I?”

Ellie quirks an eyebrow at her mother’s disgruntled tone, “Why? Would you be proud of ruling the digital halls of MIT almost five years later?”

“A l _egend_.” Felicity mutters to herself, her voice full of awe as she contemplates the meaning.

Ellie is both amused but also grateful she was able to distract her mother so easily, she spins around to face the computers yet again, she starts to access it yet again, but no avail.

“You do that one more time and it’s going to just lock up the entire system, including a search I’m currently working on. My partner isn’t going to be happy if you stop that.” Felicity points out lazily.

Ellie huffs and turns around to face her mother, only to see Felicity now sitting at the desk filled with arrowheads, not all bothered that Ellie has been trying and failing to get into her computers.

“Seriously?”

“You’re trying to break into my system and yet you’re upset that I won’t help you?” Felicity scoffs as she folds her arms leaning back in her chair, “I’ll make you a deal, you tell me who you are and  how you even know about all of this and maybe i’ll help you with it.”

“You’re so exhausting!” Ellie all but yells in exasperation a throwing herself back against the chair, but the second the words leave her lips Ellie’s blood runs cold and she's taken back to the last time she uttered those words to her mother.

The very last thing she ever said to her mother.

* * *

**_Summer 2032_ **

_“Why are you being so difficult?” Fifteen year old Ellie all but yells at her mother, her sock clad feet stomping on the carpet of her room._

_Felicity Queen only sighs as she leans against the door frame of Ellie’s bedroom, her ridiculously calm demeanor only angering Ellie further. “Eleanor, you know the rules of the house.”_

_“It’s a stupid rule.” Ellie grumbles petulantly as she flops back onto her bed hands flailed out besides her._

_“Please spare me the dramatics.” Her mother says in a dry tone, “I grew up with Donna Smoak, I’m well versed with dramatics.”_

_“Mom!”_

_“Ellie, there will be other concerts.” Felicity promises, the soft downturn of her lips making Ellie pause._

_Usually, when her mother doesn’t allow her to do something, she always feels strongly about it and does not regret it, in fact she would almost always say Ellie would understand later. More often than not, much Ellie’s annoyance her mother is right, but tonight she just seems to be crestfallen as she refuses to let Ellie go to a concert with her friends. A concert Ellie and Sara have been planning for weeks._

_“What if I can get all my assignments finished before 6, then can I go?” Ellie bargains, knowing the likelihood of her even finishing both her essays and calculus homework in the next three hours would be a miracle in itself. It’s times like this Ellie wishes she had super speed like her Uncle Barry, or at least wasn’t overly ambitious like her mother and decided that taking summer classes was a good idea_

_“Barry was able to transfer some of his super speed to you and didn’t tell me?” Her mother teases._

_Sometimes, Ellie hates how alike she and her mother are._

_“I should just go and live with Grandma in Florida.” Ellie grumbles, “She would have let me go.”_

_“Yea, she’d probably take you and then speak to Jason Mitchell for you.”_

_Ellie spins around almost immediately at her mother’s words and points a finger at her mother in accusation, “Did you hack my phone? How do you know Jason? Does Dad know? Did you do a background check on him?”_

_“Hey, wow! Nothing like that, I just heard you and Sara mention the name before.”_

_Ellie opens her mouth about to go into the sordid details of her one sided love affair with Jason Mitchell, a senior at her school and also in Sara’s English class, but then she remembers that she is angry at her mother and just growls in annoyance._

_“Yea the growling won’t work with me. I married the king of growly faces, I’m immune by now Oh! October will be 20 years since I met your father, we should probably celebrate or something...”_

_Her mother gets that soft, lovestruck look that Ellie is all too familiar with and Ellie can’t help but roll her eyes, but decides to try and use your mother’s distraction to her advantage. “So, can I go to the concert?”_

_“What?” her mother asks slightly dazed clearly lost in her memories but then straightens when Ellie’s question registers with her, “Eleanor.”_

_“I don’t understand!” Ellie whines, “I don’t even have anything due tomorrow. Why can’t I go? Everyone is going, I’ll be going with Sara and her friends.”_

_“Ellie, can we please not go through this once again.” Her mother all but begs, which is odd on its own._

_Ellie knows things at the office have been a little crazy, but there is something else and Ellie hates mysteries._

_“Why won’t you let me go? I know its just cause I didn’t finish my homework.” Ellie accuses, but her question seems to be the last straw for her mother._

_“It’s nothing. You just finish those essays I know you’ve been procrastinating on.”_

_“Mom, what aren’t you telling me?” Ellie rises off her bed and walks towards her mother._

_“What I’m telling you is that your homework won’t write itself. Get to it. No more questions.”_

_“Mom!”_

_“Ellie. Homework. Now.”_

_Her mother’s tone leaves no room for argument but Ellie only scowls in annoyance. She hates when her parents do this, she’s fifteen years old, she’s not a child anymore, but yet they insist on treating her as such._

_“You’re so exhausting!”_

_“I’m sorry, Ellie.” Her mother whispers, closing the door on her way out._

_Ellie sits there all for a minute until she decides she won’t take that as an answer and decides to tackle her father instead, after all he’s the softer one of the two. A well placed smile and a few ‘daddy’s’ and Ellie’s pretty sure she can get her way, add in to the fact that she thinks something is bothering her mother, Ellie knows she’ll get to the bottom of this easily._

_She slowly makes her way to her parents bedroom in the back of the house, but pauses when she hears her mother’s distressed voice._

_“I just don’t like lying to her.”_

_“Felicity, we agreed it’s best we keep Ellie in the dark about this until necessary.”_

_“I know, but do you remember years ago when you kept your secrets from Thea and then Slade…”_

_“Hun, nothing like that is going to happen to her, not if we keep an eye on her.”_

_“We can’t have Roy following her around like this. This can’t be the reason his cover gets blown, not after all these years.”_

_“Felicity, no one is after Ellie, we are just being cautious. This thing that is after us is unlike anything we’ve dealt with and they know us, our history. We can’t take the chance that…”_

_“Oliver, you do not need to lecture me on the safety of our daughter! I know the risks!” Felicity growls angrily, “I just….she’s fourteen years old….she should not be involved in this life just because we chose it all those years ago. I want her to have her childhood, to cling to that innocence till...it’s not fair.”_

_“I know.”_

_Ellie’s heart beats rapidly in her chest as she listens to the exchange, the way her mother’s voice cracks. Part of her what’s to barge in their room, demand they tell her everything, demand that they stop treating her like a child, but the other part of just wants to curl up in her mother’s lap and make her promise that everything will be okay. Being the only child of not just the Green Arrow but the mayor of Star City has put Ellie under unwanted scrutiny and danger, Ellie knows this but she doesn’t think she’s ever heard the level of fear that either of her parents voices. Nothing scares her father or her mother for that matter._

_Ellie takes a deep breath, and slowly walks away from the door, promising herself that she’ll apologize to her mother in the morning, and trust that her parents are doing what’s best for her._

_The next day Felicity goes missing and Ellie never got to apologize to her mother._


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this fic, I was in the middle of finals last month and then wanted to get a little head start with my Olicity Fic bang fic. Hoping these will be a little more frequent now that I have the time.

“ _Felicity!”_

 

 _“_ Frack.” Ellie hisses under her breath and she turns to her mother looking at her in annoyance, “I thought you were just bluffing about calling in the calvary!”

 

“Why would I? Strange person breaks into supposedly secret lair? That warrants calling in the big guns, _literally_. I still don't even know who you are!”

 

“I told you!” Ellie says in equal exasperation, she's about continue but falters when she sees her father make his way to her mother.

 

He stops a few feet away from her mother his eyes narrowing as he takes her in. His entire focus is on her as his eyes sweep over Felicity clearly searching for any distress or injuries. Ellie is so focused on her parents seeing them standing before her, she does not even notice her uncle John until a throat clears and she’s pulled back to reality.

 

“Who are you?” Her uncle poses the question not hostile or suspicious like her mother’s, but more calculating and Ellie knows almost immediately that he will be one to figure out her secret first. She makes a mental note to keep her face hidden behind her baseball cap as much as she can.

 

“He asked you a question.” Her father growls taking a step towards Ellie and this time Ellie visibly flinches, caught by surprise.

 

All her life she has _never_ been on the receiving end of her father’s anger, not like this. She stumbles back, hitting into the desk, unsure what to do, _this_ ….This is why her Uncle Barry told her to lay low.

 

She was not prepared for this.

 

She knows her father would never hurt her, but the problem is _this_ man is not her father, at least not yet and it clear he has no qualms about hurting her if it meant protecting her mother. The entire thing does not sit well with Ellie at all

 

“Oliver!” Her mother is sharp and full of warning, a tone Ellie is all too familiar with and for some reason it comforts her and eases Ellie racing heart. “Ellie is not a threat.”

 

“Felicity, you’re the one that sent the distress signal. You of all people know looks can be deceiving.”

 

“I sent it before I spoke to her and after speaking to her she is no longer a threat, just very stubborn that’s something I’m use to after all stubborn people are not something we’re running short of around here.”

 

Ellie rolls her eyes at the comment, not even upset at the jab. Twenty years in the past and yet they are still doing the same thing when Ellie was a kid, they talk about her like she wasn’t even there and she knows from experience intervening while they are in the middle of their little spat never ends well for _her_.

 

Ellie just huffs and tunes them out as she plops back onto her mother’s chair and grabs the nearest keyboard hoping to crack through her mother’s protection walls yet again. She can feel eyes on her, and since both of her parents are   _still_ yelling at each - like her mother would say “we’re not arguing Ellie, we’re simply having a heated discussion’- she knows her Uncle John is looking at her.

 

“Ellie! I told you not to touch that!” Her mother snaps and Ellie automatically raises her hands up in defense but when she looks across at her her mother is frowning in confusion.

 

That warning is something Ellie has heard all her life, growing up she was always in inquisitive child and her mother would always bemoan and blame herself for Ellie’s curious behavior even from small.

 

“Sorry, but by my calculation if you tried one more time the entire system would go into lockdown….” Felicity trails off her jaw dropping when her screens are brought to life and her current search is running on one screen while the other is set up for whatever search Ellie wants to conduct.

 

Ellie whoops in triumphant her fist raising in the air automatically, “booyah! I knew that would work! Alright, it's you and me Mr. Bing.”

 

“No one uses Bing anymore,” Felicity informs her voice still full of awe as she takes a step towards Ellie, “how did you breech my system. It's a five step process. _No one_ can do it, I only invented it last year...wait no last _summer_.”

 

Ellie heart races at the implications, she should have figured out some of the things her mother taught her were things that her mother herself invented. Ellie bites her lip and spins tilts her chair towards her confused mother, “lucky guess?”

 

“Have you been _stalking_ , Felicity?”

 

Her father’s voice is low and calm but Ellie’s known him long enough to recognize the threat. Ellie rolls her eyes, her reaction not amusing Oliver in the slightest and he stalks towards her, his knees almost touching the chair and glowering down at her. Ellie in turn only tilts her head back to look him in the eye her own blue eyes narrowing back at him, “Are you going to stop growling like a bear and back off so I can explain?”

 

Uncle John’s eyebrows skyrocket at her comment, while her mother can’t whole back her snort. Her father is less than amused, but when she does not waver her gaze from him, he finally backs off. It’s a trick she learned from her mother. Her mother no matter if she is in her tallest heels or barefoot would look her father right in the eye until he caved and he _always_ caved.

 

Ellie spins the chair around with ease and turns to face three of them, “You’re not going to believe me.”

 

“What do you want with Felicity and why are you following her around?” Oliver fires almost immediately.

 

“Oliver, I just told you she needed something on my computers. Stop for one minute and let her talk.” Her mother snaps.

 

It’s harsher than Ellie has ever remembered her mother being with her father and for the first time Ellie stops to really look at her parents. They are standing on opposite sides of the small area, her father has his arms folded looking anything but pleased. Ellie is well aware of how grumpy her father use to be, her mother always teased him about their first few years of meeting. But it’s her mother who has her body turned away from her father and her arms folded  and looking so closed off towards her _father_  that has her concerned.

 

Ellie doesn’t know her parents full story, she just knows that they got together the summer of 2015, which by her calculations is only about four months away. Ellie assumed they would be like any other couple dancing around the issue, she did not expect so much hostility especially from her mother.

 

Her uncle Barry did not warn her about this and once again she’s reminded why she needs to keep her identity a secret.

 

“I’m not from this time.” Ellie confesses, making sure to say it slowly and looking around each person for their reaction.

 

“You mean Starling?” Her uncle John is the first to speak his face full of confusion. Ellie knows almost immediately that this will be a lot for him to swallow.

 

“ _Time_ , as in not 2015?” Her mother asks incredulously with wide eyes as she takes a step closer to Ellie and fixes her glasses almost as though _that_ will make her see Ellie more clearly, or clarify who Ellie is.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Diggle says with a slight scoff, but when Felicity looks at him pointedly he whips around to look at Ellie, his brown eyes are wide, “Seriously?”

 

Her mother snaps her fingers, once then twice clearly trying to catch some stray thought, “Barry….Barry said he went back in time recently….did Barry send you?”

 

“Are we really talking about time travel here? Barry can jump through time too? Or does he have his own special tardis?”

 

“John! You’re a Dr. Who fan?” Her mother looks at her uncle in delight, Ellie’s origin temporarily forgotten, “How did I not know this? We could have had Dr. Who marathon sessions last summer! So much wasted time I….”

 

“Felicity.” Her father’s voice is firm but Ellie can see the smile tugging at his lips as he looks at her mother.

 

 _That_ ’s the look Ellie remembers.

 

“Oliver, you don’t seem surprised by this.” Diggle says his eyes narrowing in suspicion, “You can’t tell me this is something else you’ve seen on that island, or in Hong Kong.”

 

“I’ve seen things. Things that can’t be explained, nothing like _this_ but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

 

Her father’s response causes Ellie to laugh despite her better judgement, which earns mostly surprised looks and not too pleased look from her father, “Thanks for that Obi Wan.”

 

This time it’s her mother who breaks out into laughter, “I like her! Can we keep her?”

 

With that one question her father’s previous annoyance dissipates once again and he’s shaking his head a small smile on his lips. “She’s not a puppy, Felicity.”

 

“ _She_ is also standing right here.” Ellie responds dryly. “To answer your question, no Barry did not bring me here. I came with the help of a device, a device I cannot show you or explain how it works. Just know it did its job and here I am.”

 

“Oh! How far from the future are you? What are computers like there? You seem pretty efficient with these, so it can’t be _that_ far. Is that how you know how to get pass my systems? Did I write a book? I always wanted to write my own book, the technology books today are severely lacking.”

 

“Felicity.” Her father calls out sharply, his eyes now trained on Ellie as he speaks. “Do not answer any of her questions. She can’t tell us anything about the future. It could have dire consequences, why are you even telling us that you’re from the future in the first place?”

 

“Well that’s no fun.” Felicity mutters to herself looking thoroughly disappointed.

 

Despite Ellie being properly chastised at her father’s tone she squares her shoulders and never looks away from his angry gaze, “Because you people were too nosy and weren’t going to help me unless I gave you a proper explanation.”

 

“And you thought _time travel_ was the best route?” Her uncle John asks incredulously, “Time travel? Really?”

 

“If you’re not suppose say anything in fear of changing well everything, why are you in the past in the first place? I hardly think this is a joy ride to the past to see old relatives or old technology...although the _latter_ I’d certainly go back in time for…”

 

“Yea these things tend to move slower than my grandma.” Ellie quips at her mother. To be fair her Grandma Donna is hardly _slow_ but home computers move as fast as her uncle Barry use to be.

 

“Really? Have you moved beyond terabyte speeds? Are desktops completely obsolete now? I feel like those things will be non existence within five years.” Felicity says thoughtfully, “Speaking off how far from the future are you? Can’t I get like a little hint. Did you bring any of your tech? You had to have used something to get passed the locks without setting off the alarms.”

 

Felicity looks at Ellie with eager, wide eyes, reminding Ellie so much of _her_ mother Ellie hearts clenches and she has to look away to gather herself. She can’t afford to breakdown now, with so many eyes on her.

 

“Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. But if you want to slip me a piece of paper with…”

 

“ _Felicity_.” Oliver calls out in exasperation, he then turns to Ellie and despite his tone Ellie knows he’s not angry, “What are you looking for? Maybe we have heard of it, or at least Felicity can help you locate it quicker.”

 

“It’s hard to explain, and I’m not really sure of the whole story behind it...my….a friend was the one that told me about it. It no longer exists in my world.” Ellie says seriously, her voice cracking with her explanation and just like that a flip has been switched and all humour drains out of her mother and she’s back into mission mode. “It’s called воскрешение  камень.”

 

Oliver falters at her words his eyes narrowing and his suspicion increasing tenfold which does not sit well with Ellie not because of his suspicion but there is a sinking feeling in her gut that she is way in over her head when it comes to retrieving this stone and bringing it to Cisco.

 

“ _How do you know about that_ ?” Oliver accuses in Russian, the rapid fire and hostility in his words catches Ellie by surprise.“ _What game are you playing?  воскрешение  камень Doesn't exist. who are you? Who sent you?”_

 

“ _It does and I’ve seen the consequences of it being placed in the wrong hands.”_ Ellie snaps back in angry Russian, surprising everyone once again.

 

“ _Bullshit. That is an old folk tale. WHO SENT YOU?”_

 

“OKAY! Can the two of you stop the second language nonsense and speak in English for those of us who are monolingual here?” Felicity snaps cutting them off.

 

“I don’t know what the _Bratva_ told you _Kapatan_ . But the воскрешение  камень is very real and has been used in my time with _terrible_ consequences. I've seen first hand what those consequences are.” Ellie growls angrily. “I came back here for a reason and you aren't going to stop me. So I suggest you either help me or step back and I'll find it on my own.”

 

“Okay, let's calm down you two.” Felicity steps between the two her hand resting on Oliver’s chest and then looks back at Ellie who is now huffing in anger, her arms folded as she glares at Oliver.  

 

Their stance is the exact same and once Ellie notices or more specifically she noticed her uncle _John_ looking at her pointedly she quickly unfolds her arms and places a hand on her hip and tugs the ends of her ponytail a nervous habit of hers. She looks across at her silent parents and freezes when she sees her mother standing the exact same way she is. One hand on her hip the other still on her father’s chest but her head is tilted to side as she looks at Oliver sternly.

 

Ellie knows the moment her uncle has figured her out when his eyes bug out and he looks from the pair and then back to Ellie. His head moves like he's watching an intense tennis match. Ellie nose wrinkles as she looks at him pleadingly her head shaking from left to right.

 

“Well _fuck_.” He whistles softly utterly flabbergasted.

 

“What?” Felicity asks in alarm spinning around to face him tearing her gaze away from Oliver who is has a pinched look.

 

“Usually, when the Bratva is involved it’s never a good thing.” Diggle says slowly.

 

He looks at Ellie and his expression softens just a bit and for the first time since arriving back her Ellie feels welcomed. Her uncle John had been like a second father to her for years before things turned for the worst, before her uncle Barry took her in.

 

“How do you know that I'm a Kapatan?” Oliver asks suspiciously.

 

“ _Dude.”_ Ellie all but groans in frustration, “I'm from the future. Can we not do this 20 questions thing ever single time I divulge something? It's getting taxing and I'd like to get out of here before I'm born.”

 

“When _is_ that exactly?” Felicity asks curiously no doubt fishing for answers on how far from the future Ellie truly is.

 

Uncle John only snorts at the question but shakes his head when her mother glares at him, “What? Can't blame a girl for trying. She's worse than Oliver with the secret keeping.”

 

“воскрешение  камень is Russian for Resurrection Stone. According to old Russian folklore there is a stone that can bring back anyone from the dead no matter how long they have passed. It's more a children’s tale that served to get them into bed or threaten to bring back Stuhac, a beast that had been known to eat children’s limbs.”

 

Ellie shudders in memory of that particular story.  She's only heard it once and she still shivers at the thought.

 

“Oh that’s ridiculously stupid thing to tell children. Personally, I think bargaining with kids about being good or Santa won't get here is bad enough but to scare them to bed? Really! That's appalling. What happen to good old Ariel teaching kids to never give up on their dreams?”

 

“Was that what Ariel was teaching? Here I thought it was telling young girls that defying your father could get you what you want if you’re determined enough.” Ellie quips unable to hide her grin at the memories of her parents heated debates about appropriate bedtimes stories

 

“Your poor father. You must of been such a handful.” Her uncle John laughs in delight but sobers as soon as her parent look at him with confusion. Ellie can still see the smile tugging at the edge of his lips and although she knows she is for a serious interrogation from him, it’s nice to know how delighted he is at the information.

 

“The stone is very real and very dangerous I need to find it before it gets in the wrong hands and give it to Cisco Ramon. The hope is, if he has it then the monster from my time would not get his hands on it.” Ellie says with a growl thinking about all the people who lost their lives, all the people _she's_ lost because of that man’s selfishness.

 

“No if the legends are true and if I'm to go by what you’re saying, destroying the stone is the only option.” Oliver says determinedly, “No one should possess that kind of power.”

 

“And you know how to destroy it?” Ellie asks him expectantly waiting for his nod of confirmation.

 

Oliver bites his lip and then looks from Felicity to Diggle then back at Ellie, “I _might_ know.”

 

“Great!” Ellie claps her hands, “let's find this sucker so I can take a one way trip back home.”

 

“Ellie.” Her father’s solemn tone makes her smile falter and her shoulders drop she knows that tone. The last time she heard that tone was five years ago when he told her he was heading out on his suicide mission to search for her mother.

 

She never saw her father again.

 

“воскрешение  камень is not something that you can do a quick google search on. I have some contacts in the Bratva that _may_ help me, but the problem is once people are _aware_ of the search it’s very likely _others_ will start searching as well. This is not an easy task, we have to pull some resources and….”

 

“Oh no. no. _No._ There is no _we_ in this.” Ellie says firmly at her father’s scowl she knows he’s about to protest, but she raises her hand to stop him. “Look all I need is a location, I’ll take it from there. I _refuse_ to jeopardize my. _.._ I mean _the_ future by putting any of you in harm’s way. If you can give me a location I can be on your way and out of your hair.”

 

“Ellie.” her uncle John calls out slightly confused but she can tell he’s tapering his concern clearly not agreeing with plan.

 

“Nope. I’m not even going to argue with you on this. I can always just search for it on my own now that I know a where or at least a _who_ to go by. This is my battle, not yours.”

 

With that said she spins around to grab her backpack that’s still lying on the table, knowing she needs to consult her notes both written and digital on what she already has on the stone to see if she can figure out a proper location. The other’s are talking in hush whispers behind her, but she hears her mother’s remark clear as day and she can’t help but smirk.

 

“Well, will wonders never cease, I do believe we’ve found someone more stubborn than you, Oliver.”

 

* * *

 

 

**_Christmas Eve 2022_ **

 

_Five year old Ellie Queen slips outs of her bedroom in the dead of the night, little blond pigtails whipping against her cheek as she tiptoes quietly out of her room. She presses her back against the wall and listens closely. She can hear her mommy’s fingers clicking rapidly on a keyboard coming from her parents room but, at the lack of light Ellie knows that her mother is just about ready to go to bed. With that in mind she slowly inches past her parent’s bedroom, her back still against the wall and once she’s past the room she breathes a sigh of relief._

 

_She holds onto the banister of the stairs and quickly makes her way down, mindful of her long reindeer pjs that keep catching on her toes, her daddy always warns her to take her time when walking down the stairs, but she’s too anxious to get to the living room._

 

_Once she hits the landing Ellie silently squeals and pumps her fits in the air. Part one of her mission is complete._

 

_She looks around the open area of their house, listens closely just in case her daddy is around but grins when all she is hears is silence.  She then tiptoes along the corridor and makes her way to the living room, or more specifically the place where their Christmas tree is currently lit brightly, twinkling in the otherwise dark room._

 

_She looks across at the menorah that holds all of its candles, the wax melting slightly, but no fire is burning. She shivers slightly, the fireplace is also out, but she had planned for this earlier and quickly skips over to her toy box and pulls out her large Elsa quilt that she and placed in there earlier in the day._

 

_Once she has her blanket and her Olaf stuffed animal she drags both behind her making her way around the large living room. She checks on the cookies and milk left for Santa, tempted to take one of the cookies, but then remembers that Santa needs those cookies to keep up his energy so she leaves them, but not before looking at it forlornly._

 

_She then moves over the to Hanukkah display and presses the button on her own little electric menorah and grins when the lights dance over the ceiling, mixing with the Christmas lights from the tree._

 

_With that done she then makes her way back to the couch and tosses the blanket and Olaf onto the couch, propping Olaf against arm of the couch so that he can face her, “Do you think Santa is gonna come down this chimney, or the one in our dining room?”_

 

_She whispers to her small friend and nods seriously in return, “Yea, Mommy says the other one is too small for Santa, that’s why we puts the Christmas tree in heres. We’re gonna get to see Santa, Olaf!”_

 

_Ellie squeals with delight, but then gasps loudly, “Oh I almost forgots ‘bout that. Thanks Olaf!”_

 

_She stands on the couch and with one large leap she jumps from the couch to the single arm chair. She looks back at Olaf and places a finger against her lips, “Shh we don’ts tell Mommy I was jumpins on hers chair.”_

 

_With that said she leans over the back of the chair, where a small table rests and she tugs open the draw, while hanging upside down and pulls out her Daddy’s phone that she hid there as well. With a triumphant grin she shuts the draw quietly and quickly makes her way back to Olaf._

 

_Now with everything she needs, she bundles up under her blankets, Olaf in her lap as she holds out the phone for the stuffed animal to see the screen, “Daddy doesn’t even know I has his phones.”_

 

_She giggles at her little secret and presses the bottom of the screen to start up her father’s phone. When the password request comes up, she places her finger on the little button and whoops in excitement when it registers her finger. With that out of the way she quickly finds the camera up and places it on her knees facing the chimney._

 

 _“I’ll show Sara that Santa Claus is real_ .” _She says determinedly, little fingers clasping the phone as she waits for Jolly old St. Nick to arrive._

 

_Two hours later when Oliver and Felicity come down stairs to place Ellie’s gifs that’s exactly how they find her phone still clutched in her hand as she snores softly._

 

_Felicity is so tickled she pulls out her phone almost immediately and takes a picture, “I told you that she would do this, she’s been sneaking things in here all day. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me top secret mission for the Green Arrow, but Daddy can’t tell me anything.”_

 

_Oliver laughs, “I told you she was going to try and stay up to see Santa. Kid planned it all out, even brought company.”_

 

_“She had snacks too, but I think she forgot about the oreos in the control box.” Felicity says with a laugh moving to the little box by the television that holds all their remote controls and sure enough there are two packs of oreos, a jar of marshmallow fluff and a juice box._

 

_“Can’t say she wasn’t prepared.” Oliver laughs again as he slips some of Ellie’s gifts into her christmas stockings._

 

_“She’s as stubborn as you are, the moment Sara Diggle told her that Santa did not exist I knew this was going to happen.”_

 

_“We’ve got a little Green Arrow in training.” Oliver says proudly watching as Ellie slumbers on the couch._

 

_“Or Overwatch." Felicity counters with a smile, referring to herself._

 

_Oliver echoes her in agreement and then tugs her to his arms once he’s finished placing all the gifts, “So are we leaving her there or taking her back to her room?”_

 

_“Let’s leave her, oooh and a little note too.” Felicity says eagerly as she drinks almost all of the milk for Santa. She grabs a nearby pen and paper and scribbles a little note to their daughter, then gently places it on Ellie’s lap._

 

_“She’s going to be so disappointed when she wakes up,” Oliver says with a frown as he nibbles on one of the cookies._

 

_“Don’t worry next year she’ll try it again. Remember last year? She fell asleep on the stairs before she could get down here.” Felicity says with a laugh, “C’mon Mr. Queen let’s go celebrate our own Christmas traditions.”_

 

_The next morning when Ellie woke up she was practically buzzing with energy when she reads the short note she got from Santa._

 

**Dear Eleanor,**

 

**Thank you for the cookies and the milk, oreos are my favourite as well. I’m sorry you fell asleep while waiting for me, maybe next year we’ll get to finally meet each other.**

 

**Love Santa Claus.**

  
_After Felicity read out the note for Ellie, she insisted on calling Sara Diggle right that minute and told her this was even better than a picture, no one has a note from Santa._


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. life is hectic as well as the muse is a fickle bitch. Thank you for all the kind reviews it means a lot to me :)

“Well that’s just stupid, you can’t expect to take on the Russian  _ mafia _ by yourself.” Felicity says in exasperation, “You came to us for our help for a reason.”

 

“ _ Actually _ , I just needed a working computer. My tablet seems to spaz at the thought of 2015.” Ellie comments dryly.

 

At the mentione of her tablet her mother’s eyes rise in eagerness but Oliver places a calm hand on her shoulders and Ellie has to bite back her smile of amusement when she sees her mother’s shoulder slump in disappointment.

 

“Our final offer involves either us helping all the way or not at all. If I drop my name into this we are going to be involved no matter what and it's better we work together than carry out our own investigation and let’s be honest here there is no way you will have the kind of resources we will have. I will need to speak to some of my sources and then we can go from there.” Oliver says seriously his eyes moving to Felicity with a pointed gaze.

 

Ellie groans, she knows he's right but this was not the plan she is not suppose to get them involved and certainly not on this suicide mission. 

 

“This is not the story I was told. I can't change the timeline.” Ellie says equally stubborn but then realized belatedly that she once again said too much.  She can practically see the gears turning in her mother’s head

 

“Do you know us?” Felicity asks suspiciously.

 

“I know  _ of you.”  _ Ellie says evasively, her uncle only looks away at that, but her parents are both equally suspicious, “I can't say anymore. Who knows we could work together, you don't go to the office and someone could not get hired and I would end up ceasing to exist. It's very delicate, time travel.” 

 

“Ooh were your parents having some kind of scandalous office affair?” Felicity asks her eyes wiggling suggestively.

 

Ellie gags at the suggestion while her uncle coughs to hide his laugh at her reaction, “can we not?”

 

Felicity laughs but nods nonetheless completely missing the look of amusement Diggle sends Ellie.

 

The shrilling  sound of a cellphone cuts through the relatively silent room and Ellie watches curiously as her father looks at the phone closest to him and immediately his eyes darken. 

 

“Why is Palmer calling you at 3 am?” He asks incredulously, but at the hard look Felicity gives him he immediately backtracks, “I mean it's just kind of late for work stuff.”

 

Felicit only scoffs in return as she scoops up her phone from the table, “says the man who would call me at 4 am to tell me to do a search for him, despite the fact I could easily do it in the morning.”

 

“It's not the same!” Oliver protests, spluttering when Felicity’s eyebrow only raised in question, “Arrow related stuff is  _ important _ ... _ urgent.” _

 

_ “ _ We’re working on a new prototype for work. Ray has no sense of time. Seeing as I'm awake already I might as well check that out.” Felicity says her voice hard, harder than Ellie has ever heard, at least when she’s talking to Ellie’s father.

 

“Who the fuck is Ray?” Ellie asks incredulously unable to hide  _ her  _ emotions. After all the stories she’s heard the name Ray does not sound familiar at  _ all _ . She vaguely remembers her mother calling her company Queen Inc, Palmer Technologies before the name change but the name Ray is completely foreign to her.

Her question though has a series of reactions, her uncle is immediately amused he's leaning against one of the desk his arms folded as he watches her parents for their reactions. Oliver almost satisfied look by her question clearly working out that Ellie not knowing Ray is a good thing in his books, Felicity though only scowls in annoyance at Oliver.

 

“He is my boss.” Felicity explains tersely

 

“Your boss calls you at 4 am at night?” Ellie asks incredulously, she’s not stupid she can see the look that passes between her parents, the tension is obvious this Palmer is  _ not _ just her mother’s  _ boss _ and Ellie is not pleased with this new information. Information her uncle Barry  _ conveniently  _ forgot to mention to her.

 

“ _ This _ is what I’m saying!” Oliver chimes in but visibly flinches when Felicity glares at him no words needed to get her point across.

 

At least  _ that _ hasn't changed.

 

“Well seeing as you are unaware of who he is it doesn't matter now does it?” Felicity asks in a clipped voice. 

 

She grabs her handbag but then stops before she leaves to look at Ellie with a hard piercing  gaze and this time it's Ellie who flinches, but unlike when Ellie was younger and her dad would joke to not look her straight in the eye, Ellie can’t look away. Oliver is now looking at Felicity with a curious expression clearly trying to figure out what she is thinking.

 

“You know us in the future, don't you? Not just  _ know of _ but actually know like we’ve met before?”

 

“I can't answer that.” Ellie says truthfully but her heart has already begun to beat rapidly in her chest.

 

“Mmhm.” 

 

It's the only response Felicity gives but looks at Ellie, then back at Oliver, then back at Ellie one more time before she tightens her grip on her handbag, “Call me as soon as you get information on this stone thingy.”

 

“камень воскрешение.” Both Oliver and Ellie correct automatically and Felicity only hums yet again and cast Ellie a thoughtful look.

 

“Yes, and we’ll figure out or plan _ after _ we know what we’re dealing with.” 

 

With those last words she walks out of the lair leaving no room for Ellie to protest. Once she disappears up the stairs, Ellie turns to look at uncle and father incredulously but Oliver is already gathering his own things to leave and he doesn't even give Ellie a glance but murmurs something to Diggle.

 

“I feel like I came to the wrong universe not the past.” Ellie grumbles to herself, grateful to finally be able to express herself without worrying about her identity.

 

“ _ Universes?  _ Like for real?” Her uncle gapes at her and she's reminded he’s not her usual roll with the punches uncle.

 

“Yea, it's a thing. You don't have to worry about that anytime soon, so don’t bother to wrap your head around it.”

 

“Right, cause  _ time travel _ is so easy to accept.” He says dryly. He looks at Ellie his eyes softening , “Ellie Queen.”

 

“Eleanor Queen,” Ellie corrects wrinkling her nose in slight distain never liking her full name, “it was my greatgrandmother’s name...Moira’s mother.”

 

“Moira.” Her uncle says slowly seeming to still process all the information she’s throwing at him, “and you...those two….”

 

“Yup.” Ellie confirms a smile tugging at her lips, she grabs the visor of her baseball cap and tugs it off her head finally revealing her full face, her blond hair tumbling around her as she yanks the ponytail free.

 

“ _ Wow.”   _ Diggle takes a step towards her his eyes the size of saucers as he looks at her closely.

 

“So I may look a bit like my mom.” Ellie says sheepishly.

 

“If it wasn't for the refusal to accept help earlier I would have thought Felicity figured out how to clone herself.” Diggle says his voice still full of awe. He starts to slowly circle Ellie almost as though looking her at different angles might make her appear differently. “But you certainly are Oliver Queen’s daughter.”

 

“I dye it actually.”  Ellie says twirling a lock of her blonde hair, which probably further proves her uncle’s cloning theory and if things weren't so dire at the moment she would have laugh at the notion.

 

“So maybe you are more like your mother than I thought.” Diggle quips he then pauses, “Felicity is a mom...Oliver is someone’s  _ father _ . They have a kid...well will have one. I think I need to take a seat.”

 

Ellie giggles at his words kicking her mother’s chair gently over to him. He takes a seat and looks at her and she can see a million questions running across his face.

 

“If I asked you anything you wouldn't be able to tell me would you?”

 

“Nope.” Ellie responds making sure to make her face passive as possible, she knows exactly who her uncle’s mind goes to but she can't think about that. Think about all the people’s she’s lost in such a short span of time.

 

He nods in understanding and Ellie knows she won't be grilled and he accepts that she needs to keep these secrets to preserve time. “But this stone, if we are able to destroy it. It will fix things?”

 

“God I hope so.” Ellie breathes out her voice cracking and her eyes filling with tears and almost immediately she finds herself being engulfed in familiar large arms filled with warmth.

 

The familiarity only causes Ellie to sob more and she wraps her arms tightly around her uncle’s waist and just quietly releases all the emotions that has been overwhelming her since she came back to this time.

 

“We’ll fix this Ellie. I promise.”

 

Ellie sniffles as she pulls back wiping her eyes as she shakes her head, “don't make me that promise. I can't let any of you interfere, it could make things worse than they already are. I refuse to take you away from...you  _ can't...  _ uncle John, you have to promise me that you’ll convince my parents that  _ this _ particular mission is just not in the cards for any of you. If anything happens to either of them I'll  _ cease to exist _ . Messing with time lines never ends well, trust me you guys have a history with that. Or a future with that? Tenses confuse me.”

 

“Alright, I’ll try but we both know you don't get your stubborness  _ just _ from your father.” Diggle says pointedly, “Felicity is already suspicious as it is. She's going to figure you out sooner or later.”

 

“I'm not telling them! It's bad enough she's got her eye on some random dude.”

 

“Palmer is only on your mother’s radar because Oliver’s an idiot.” Her uncle says dryly.

 

“Yes, well I prefer not to change anything before I end up half  _ Palmer  _ instead of half Queen.” Ellie grumbles.

 

Her comment only causes her uncle to laugh more, “trust me you may look exactly like your mother but you’re all your father. It's probably why I'm not questioning this time travel story of yours.” 

 

“We’re not  _ that _ much alike.” Ellie protests but it seems to only encourage her uncle who laughs wholeheartedly in return.

 

He then slowly begins circling Ellie really taking in her appearance after the third round Ellie only huffs in annoyance, “I'm not a zoo specimen uncle John!”

 

The moniker seems to pull him from his thoughts and although he looks properly chastised he looks at her in wonderment like he still can't wrap his mind around her, which she expects.

 

“You’re going to have to let us help.” He says solemnly but at her look of protest he raises his hand stopping her almost immediately, “by just being here you’ve already changed the timeline, am I right?”

 

Ellie falters at his words, she knows he has a point just the fact he knows who she is, that  _ everyone _ has met her can't be good. “I just don't want to take the chance that something messes up the timeline and the consequences could be…”

 

“But us not helping, may also make things worst. We can’t really know.” Her counters reasonably, “How about we wait to see what Oliver finds out before you jump the gun?”

 

Ellie sighs but nods nonetheless knowing there is not anything she can do to stop them anyway.

 

“Hey Dig! Is Oliver here, he said to get here ASAP and his bike isn't….mini Blondie? What are you doing here?”

 

Roy looks at her confused as he approaches the pair, her uncle though is even more surprised, “He knows?”

 

“Knows what?”

 

“I ran into him yesterday.”

 

The answers come simultaneously but Roy is looking at Ellie curiously, “Mini-Blondie are you ex-military? That would make so much sense, after that ass kicking. I should call you mini-Arrow.”

 

Diggle snorts at the comment, “Oh the irony.”

 

“What? What am I missing how do you know her?” Roy looks back and forth between the two. “I thought you said you knew Sin?”

 

“Yea that was a lie.” Ellie sighs in exasperation she's getting to the point where she’s tired of having to explain who she is. “I'm going to have to start my own recording of this explanation.”

 

“That’s not exactly conducive to keeping things a secret.”

 

“It was  joke Uncle John,”

 

“Uncle  _ what?” _

 

“Damn it.”

 

* * *

 

 

_ Winter 2017 _

 

_ Over the past year John Diggle has seen enough of hospitals to last him a lifetime. Hell over the past 5 years, if he’s being honest with himself. There has only been one instance when he welcomed the bland, white walls of the hospital wink with its overpowering smell of anti-spectic the moment he steps foot inside the building and that was the birth of his daughter. Now, almost two and half years later he’s back for the very same reason, but someone equally special. _

 

_ He grips the oversized stuffed bear with one hand and walks through the silent corridors with ease, it figures Oliver and Felicity’s daughter is not only a week late but also chooses possibly the worst time to announce her presence to the world.   _

 

 _Felicity went into labour amidst one of the worst takedowns Team Arrow has ever had and in the middle of the fighting Felicity high pitched scream had the entire team thinking the latest bad guy somehow infiltrated the lair, only to realize she was not only going into labour, but had been in labour for the past_ ** _nine_** _hours but just failed to inform any of them._

 

_ To say Oliver was upset would have been an understatement. _

 

 _Luckily (or unluckily depending on who you ask) Roy who had been known to show up for a few days at a time had been hanging around the bunker and was there when Oliver and Felicity’s daughter decided she just could_ **not** _wait to be born._

 

_ Oliver insisted Felicity  leave the comms open as she delivered despite protests from most of the team including Roy who was begging her to just cross her legs and not let the thing out.  _

 

_ Suffice to say Felicity was not too fond of Roy referring to her daughter as a  _ **_thing_ ** **.**

 

_ Eleanor Donna Queen was born at 3:15 am amidst the sounds of gun shots, arrows flying and Felicity’s screams. She was pink, round face buddle of high pitched screams, Oliver came flying through the bunker just in time to cut the umbilical, at least that’s as much John gathered from the comms.  _

 

 _Now almost four hours later John was finally able to meet his niece, his only memory of her thus far is the loud pair of lungs he’s not at all surprised that she posses. He walks up to Felicity’s hospital room, faltering at the entrance, flashbacks to almost exactly a year ago when he was visiting Felicity for an entirely different reason and he has to take a breath and remind himself, that the ventilator, the tubes, the_ ** _blood_** _is not what will greet him as he enters the hospital room._

 

_ He looks into the small hospital room and can’t help but smile at the site that greets him. The room is not covered in flowers yet, the early morning means that the rest of the world has yet to learn of the new Queen.  _

 

_ Oliver is standing at the window overlooking the city a small pink bundle in his arms as he speaks softly, Felicity is lying in bed looking a little worse for wear but smiling warmly at her little family. Felicity murmurs a soft protest at Oliver hogging their daughter and Oliver’s full belly laugh is something John has never heard from his friend ever. Even after her and Felicity got together John doesn’t think he’s ever heard the lightness in Oliver’s voice as he does now. _

 

_ John almost feels bad for interrupting the small family but he’s been anxious to meet his new niece and couldn’t wait any longer. He raps softly on the door to gain their attention and smiles warmly at the exhausted pair, Oliver has a few cuts and bruises across his face, the bandage around his arm just peaking out from his shirt but his friend couldn’t look happier. The baby is the only one that seems to be sleeping unaware of the crazy world she was brought into. _

 

_ “John!” Felicity calls out excitedly, jostling the sleeping baby slightly and frowns pressing a kiss on the soft tufts of brown hair.  “Sorry Ellie, baby.” _

 

_ “I know it’s a little early, but Oliver said family could visit anytime.” John says sheepishly, only now realizing how ridiculous it was for him to come straight to the hospital instead of waiting on Lyla and Sara to wake up so they can all visit their friends. _

 

_ “Come in!” Felicity insists with a small laugh, “My mom went to look for breakfast, but I’m certain she’s somewhere crying over the fact that we named Ellie after her.” _

 

_ The slight exasperation in Felicity’s tone is completely negated by the large grin gracing Felicity’s face. John’s certain he’s never seen her smile so brightly either. He looks at the pink faced sleeping baby and smiles warmly, “So, Ellie?” _

 

_ “John, meet Eleanor Donna Queen.” Oliver says proudly, already taking the sleeping baby from Felicity’s arms. “Ellie, this is your Uncle John.” _

 

_ “Eleanor after Oliver’s Grandma Dearden who showed Oliver how to make the infamous coconut drops.” Felicity says with a laugh. _

 

_ Said coconut drops were the only things Felicity would eat in the first few weeks of her pregnancy. Oliver’s grandmother’s second husband was from Jamaica and she use to make the coconut drops for Oliver as a kid. Oliver was looking for new recipes at the time and the moment a pregnant Felicity tasted it the little sweet treats became a staple in the Smoak-Queen house.  _

 

_ “That’s not why we chose Eleanor, Felicity.” Oliver says in exasperation, but laughs nonetheless, “Eleanor was also my mother’s middle name, at least one of them. We thought Moira would have been a bit too much for a little girl.” _

 

_ “Better she not live in her grandmother’s shadow.” Felicity says softly, looking at their daughter who snuggles into her father’s chest with utter fondness and awe, that awe John knows will last for a few weeks.  _

 

_ He’s well aware the utter disbelief that this little person is something you made never really goes away. _

 

_ “Ellie was born into a family of strong women.” Oliver says softly, “The strongest women I know.” _

 

_ “Oliver, I told you no more speeches, I can’t control these tear ducts. Damn it.” Felicity huffs in annoyance as she wipes her eyes.   _

 

_ Oliver only shakes his head in amusement as he finally passes over their sleeping daughter to John’s anxious arms. _

 

_ “Oh.” John says with a small gasp as Ellie’s little button nose wrinkles in displeasure and her eyes open, clearly not pleased at being waken. John braces himself for the inevitable crying, but Ellie only looks at him briefly her little blue eyes narrowing, and then they flutter close and she continues to sleep. _

 

_ “She trusts you.” Felicity says happily, “She gave the nurse hell when they took her to get cleaned up earlier. She’s a stubborn one.” _

 

_ “Well she is both a Queen and Smoak, I would not expect anything less.” John says his voice getting thick as he looks down at the little girl who is the perfect mix of both her parents. From Felicity’s button nose, to a small mole on her top lip, just like Olivers and obvious stubbornness.  “Only three hours old and you’re already giving them hell?” _

 

_ Ellie is sleeping away unaware of the adults conversation as they all laugh. “I forgot how small they are at this age.” _

 

_ “Itching for another one?” Felicity teases, when John doesn’t answer Felicity gasps, “Is Lyla?” _

 

_ “No.” John says with a shake of his head unable to hide his disappointment, “With the latest  _ **_problem_ ** _ we thought it’s best to wait.” _

 

_ Oliver eyes darken at John’s words, the impending threat hanging over their heads sobering them all immediately, but it’s Felicity who speaks her voice soft, “You can’t stop living you life, just because of  _ **_him_ ** _ John. You know better than any that only gives him more power over us.” _

 

_ “I know, but I prefer to stop that son of a bitch once and for all. Make the world safer for our daughters. They can’t grow up in this world we’re living in.” John says with conviction holding Ellie protectively against his chest.  _

 

_ Oliver’s hand rests on the baby’s small chest, almost as though his touch alone will protect his daughter. John is all too familiar with that protective nature that makes you want to hold onto to the people he loves and never let go. He can see his friend is anxious to take back his daughter and after a soft kiss on her forehead John quickly passes the sleeping baby back to her father. _

 

_ “We’ll put an end to him. Our daughters won’t suffer the kind of lost we have. I promise you.” Oliver’s voice is firm, his expression softening as he looks down at his sleeping daughter. He presses a soft kiss to her cheek and whispers Russian to her. _

 

_ “Alright, stop hogging my daughter. It’s Mommy’s turn.” Felicity calls out teary eyed, her arms making a grabbing motion for her daughter and John knows that all the somber talk has her wanting to hold her daughter, he himself has to fight the urge to see his sleeping girls. _

 

_ “Mommy doesn’t know how to share.” Oliver teases and just like that the tense mood is broken and they all laugh. _

  
_ The inevitable fight hangs over their heads, but for John just wants to celebrate this moment with his friends so they put it side for the time being and he just watches as his friends fawn over their daughter. _


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for the ridiculously long delay on this fic, I was struggling with making timelines aline both present and past and this fic turned out much harder to write than anticipated. Hopefully the next chapter won't be delayed as long. Thank you to everyone who spent the time to stop by and read and review it means a lot :)

“I think it's safe to say you aren't going to find anything online, Ellie.” Uncle John calls out from behind her.

It’s been almost three hours since her parents left and Ellie was hoping she would find the information she needed and then disappear to fix things on her own. But given the fact that her father said this stone is from years maybe even centuries ago long before computers were even a thought and Ellie thinks the lack of digital evidence will be her downfall.

“Seriously? She drops this huge ass story on us and you’re just going with it, no questions ask?” Roy asks in disbelief.

He's been quiet for the most part trying to process everything Ellie has told him. She decided the truth was better than a halfass tale, that she’d have to keep track of, she couldn’t even keep her name a secret after all.

“Not that I don't believe you.” Roy continues. He makes his way behind Felicity’s computer screens and looks down at Ellie with curious eyes. “Unless Blondie has been juggling a  _ third _ job that involves cloning I can't see anything else.”

“What is it with you two and cloning? It's not even possible in this time.” Ellie says with a roll of her eyes ignoring Roy’s flabbergasted expression. “Forget I said that. You know I could just be a relative. Long lost sister or something.”

“That Felicity doesn't know about?” Diggle counters with a grin.

“That's the concept of long lost.” Ellie retorts with her own smile, “who knows what my asshat of a grandfather has been up to.”

Both Roy and Diggle’s widen in surprise at her words and Ellie remembers that her mother’s father is practically a ghost to all of them. Ellie herself only knows he’s a terrible person and all her information has been second hand from her Uncle Roy. After all Ellie grew up with the best grandfather a girl could ask for she didn't need or care to know about the man that left her Mom and her Grandma.

“I'm pretty sure you’re 100% Smoak.” Roy says with a laugh. “You’re really telling me they haven't figured it out yet?”

“Nope.” Ellie replies.

“It’s Oliver and Felicity.” Diggle tells the young man his tone full of knowing exasperation. “You’ve seen them, Oliver is a bit slow when it comes to these things.”

“Yes and I’d like that relationship to progress on its ridiculously slow pace without any future interventions. Thank you very much.”

“How much longer could it be possibly take?” Roy asks in exasperation, “it's painful to watch them interact.”

“I can't tell you that.”

“Why?” Roy asks with a grunt and it amuses Ellie how much he's invested in her parents relationship. It reminds her of her Grandma Donna and those tv shows she loves to watch and the relationships she roots for and always tries to get Ellie to get sucked in. “Isn't the end goal to get them together anyway? Unless you’re afraid the condom breaks and you end up aging 5 years.”

“Can you  _ not?”  _ Ellie gags at the thought earning smirks form both men, “I just don't want to end up with an older sibling who coincides with certain  _ things  _ in summer of 2016.”

“2016? That's next year!” Roy says with wide eyes, “those two haven't even bumped uglies yet.”

“It only takes that one time.” Her uncle John counters with a grin.

“Uncle  _ Roy. Uncle John!”  _ Ellie bemoans, this conversation getting more disturbing by the minute.

“Uncle Roy?” Roy blanches taking a step back almost as Ellie has cursed him. “You...me...I….Thea?”

“I can't answer that.” Ellie says with a wide grin lovely how uncomfortable he’s getting. There is no sense her telling him the fate that awaits him in a few short months.

Roy narrows his eyes at her but relents knowing he can't ask anymore questions after Ellie explained hours ago how detrimental it is for her to keep her secret. He then turned to Diggle smirking slightly, “Oliver certainly didn't waste any time.” 

Her uncle John laughs in agreement as Ellie holds back a groan.

“Oliver doesn't waste time doing what?” A new voice pipes up startling the small group.

Felicity is making her way towards her computers now dressed in jeans and a sweater her winter coat hung over her arm. Ellie looks wide eyed at her uncles but Diggle steps in smoothly, “Oliver won't waste time with this, we were just catching Roy up and he wanted to know what to you two were up to.”

“Hm.” Her voice is laden with suspicion but she turns to Roy and smile, “so you met our time traveler? Isn't it exciting?”

Roy rolls his eyes, “you are such a nerd, Blondie.”

“Says the guy who came over every night last summer to watch Dr. Who with me and Harry Potter  _ and..” _

_ “ _ Hey! We said we’d never talk about that!” Roy protests his cheeks pinking up in embarrassment.

Ellie’s mother only laughs in response as she makes a beeline for her computers. She seems to notice Ellie for the first time and stops in her steps. She tilts her head to the side and peers down at Ellie but then shakes her head. “Any luck?”

“Nope this thing predates technology.” Ellie says with a shudder.

“Oh the horror.” Felicity responds voicing Ellie’s thoughts. 

Roy snorts at their matching expression but then coughs to cover up his amusement at Felicity’s look at them suspiciously but Ellie only shakes her head. “Ignore him. How are we supposed to find out more about this stone thing? Should I go to a library and start searching?”

“You should wait for Oliver and hear what he knows.” Diggle says with a pointed look. Ellie is about to protest but Diggle holds up his hand stopping her, “okay let's say we find this stone and it's in Russia how are you going to get there? I'm pretty sure your passport is not valid in this time.”

Ellie scowls in annoyance at his valid point. She folds her arms but winces in pain when she brushes the bandage on her arm. 

“Did you change that thing since I put it on?” Roy asks incredulously already moving to the medi-bay where they have all their medical supplies, “I told you to get it cleaned out at least twice a day.” 

He beckons Ellie to the table but Felicity cuts Ellie off her eyes narrowing in suspicion, “wait you two know each other? How do you know each other?”

“We had a run in my first day here.” Ellie admits as she shrugs off her hoodie to reveal the large bandage on her for arms which is caked with dried blood, “Some assholes seemed to think it was okay to take my stuff. They thought wrong.”

“She kicked their asses.” Roy says proudly, making Ellie roll her eyes, “It totally makes sense now.”

“What make sense?” Felicity asks, while Diggle is shaking his head behind the blonde and Roy has mind to look sheepish.

“You know time travelers should be able to kick some ass.” Roy offers pathetically.

“That makes no sense, you….”

But whatever Felicity was going to say gets cuts off when Oliver comes running down the stairs, “We have a problem.”

“Oh god. Is this we problem a  _ me _ problem as in, did I offset something catastrophic from what I told you or is a  _ you _ problem with your everyday business?” Ellie asks in horror, not even flinching when Roy dabs her arm a little too roughly at Oliver’s entrance.

Oliver looks at her curiously almost as though he forgot she was there, “The League took Merlyn.”

Ellie’s blood runs cold at the name her Uncle John picking up almost immediately, just as her mother pipes up, “well that solves one problem for today.”

“I don't get it why would the league be after Merlyn?” Roy asks in confusion.

“Thea.” Oliver explains tiredly, “she told them everything...with you know who and…”

“He made Thea kill Sara Lance, then told Ra’s that you killed her. Ra’s challenged you to a duel you went  _ splat _ but were saved from some friends of yours from Japan or something and then you came back. I know that story,” Ellie remarks dryly.

“It’s Hong Kong actually.” Felicity corrects but raises her hands in defense when Oliver sends her and incredulously, “She’s from the  _ future  _ Oliver I'm pretty sure she knows how everything turns out. Speaking off, think you can give us a little hint as to whether or not Oliver’s next asinine plan is a go or a no?”

“Hey! I didn't say…”

“So you came down here just to  _ gossip _ with us then?” Felicity counters when she only gets silence in return she huffs, “that’s what I thought.”

“We have to get him back.” Oliver says now reluctant after Felicity’s little remark.

Immediately there is an uproar as the team begins to argue. Ellie listens for all of five minutes before she is whistling to gain their attention, “this is all very fascinating, but were you able to get any information for me? I'm running on a clock here.”

“Are you? Cause you’re about what 20? So I think you have just about 21 years of time?” Roy asks smartly.

Ellie scowls at him, “I was not  _ born _ in 2016. Can you please stop giving away all my secrets? Look the point is I have things to do, a stone to find and destroy. I’d like to get back to my own time.”

“But would you have a time to go back to?” Roy’s voice is soft this time and full of uncertainty, “I mean if you’re meant to come back here and stop something so far in the past wouldn't that completely alter your time?”

“Yes, but…” Ellie falters, she never really thought about the after. She's been so focused on completing her mission she didn't think her task the aftermath never occurred to her, and now that is had she wishes Roy never brought it up, “it doesn't matter. I have something to do and that's why I am here.”

“So damn the consequences to yourself then?” Uncle John is frowning now and not at all pleased with this turn of events.

“Uh, idiocy runs in the family.” Roy remarks dryly. He casts a glance at Oliver but then quickly looks away. No one noticing the way Felicity has been watching the exchange with wide calculated eyes, “Which is ironic given who…”

“Alright!” Ellie says loudly as she jumps off the medical table, her hoodie clasped in her hand tightly, “there will be no more talk about me or my history...past, present or future. I just need to find this stupid stone and just get rid of it.”

“Getting rid of it won't be that easy.” Oliver chimes in, “you’ll need a special blade.”

“Which let me guess, is not with said stone cause why make my life easy?” Ellie remarks sarcastically. She growls angrily resisting the urge to pick something up and throw it. “Leave Malcolm Merlyn to rot in Nanda Parbat for the time being. Ra’s Al Ghul won't kill him right away. Help me find this stupid thing and then you can go back to the insane notion that man deserves saving.”

She knows she's said too much by the way the entire room is silent, at her outburst. Her uncle John surprisingly is the first to speak and Ellie almost jumps in surprise, “Malcolm Merlyn, he’s the one you’re trying to stop, isn't it? He’s the one responsible for..for all your losses?”

Ellie bites her lip refusing to look at her parents, “he tried to defy natural order of life and other people suffered the consequences like always.”

“Who did you lose?” Felicity voice is tentative as she speaks and she placed a hand on Ellie’s other shoulder.

Ellie gets a strong wiff of her mother’s familiar vanilla scented cream and Ellie’s eyes begin to fill with tears but she furiously wipes her face in her hoodie, “I can't say.”

She can’t look at her mother in the eye, but despite her avoidance Felicity still continues to rub Ellie’s back soothingly. Soft circles up and down her spine, exactly like when Ellie was a kid, which terrifies Ellie to say the least. 

The room is silent, but Ellie knows the men have turned their backs to give her some privacy, right now only her mother is comforting her. Growing up Ellie has always been a curious child and as an adult she is no different and she can't help but look across at her mother. She knows she shouldn’t, she knows her broken expression will give everything away, her mother has always been able to read her like a book. 

The moment their eyes meet she realizes her mother knows everything, or at least knows who Ellie is.  Her mother’s eyes are warm and full of so much love, it’s all consuming and Ellie’s carefully controlled emotions comes crashing down and she bursts into tears. 

Ellie buries her face in the crook of her mother’s neck her fingers clutching the soft material of her mother sweater he voice muffled as she speaks. There is so much she wants to say to her mother, but she knows she can’t because for all intents and purpose this woman is  _ not _ her mother, no matter how much she sounds like her, looks like her or acts like her and Ellie is have a hard time wrapping her mind around that.

“I don't...how?” Ellie stutters out softly. 

She knows the men are not longer watching them instead moved off to another end of the lair but the room is still very small. She really misses the bunker, the bunker had so many nooks and crannies for privacy, at the time Ellie and Sara would just use it to play hide and seek. Ellie shakes her head free of those thoughts she can’t be dwelling on the past, the irony of her that statement is not lost to her either.

“I figured it out last night...well you being Oliver’s...Oliver is your father right?” She asks her voice soft and slightly uncertain.

Ellie nods her head and pulls back to look her mother both of them wearing matching red rimmed eyes. Oliver being her father is one thing, but Ellie knows that her mother knows she’s  _ her _ daughter and far as Ellie can tell her parents are nowhere close to that, “But you…”

Felicity laughs uncomfortably and wipes her eyes, “Yea, I figured you would never come back here to us to ask for help unless one of us were family. A few minutes with you and I knew you were Oliver’s right away, you were too similar all the mannerisms, the hero complex, the pig headed, stubborn..”

“Felicity.” Ellie calls out. She decides in that moment that she can’t call her ‘Mom’ she’s barely keeping her sanity as it is and the lines are so blurred they are more like smudges in the sand, she can’t do that.

“Sorry.” 

Felicity tilts her head to the side and looks at Ellie thoughtfully, her voice filled with awe and just a bit of confusion, “You look so much like me.”

Ellie is unsure if it’s a question or a statement but her mother’s confused expression has her laughing, “Who else would I look like?”

The question seems to give her mother pause though, like full ramifications of who Ellie is has finally hit her. Ellie can see that she’s about to pass out and she quickly grabs a nearby chair rolling it over to her mother. 

“Felicity! What’s wrong?” 

Her father appears out of nowhere, hovering anxiously over her mother, his hand resting on her shoulder as he takes her in. The fact that her doesn’t even spares Ellie a glance means he probably did not hear their conversation, but instead was just lurking in the shadows. It might sound creepy to anyone else, but Ellie remember her father’s overprotective nature well. Her first day of kindergarten he spent the majority of his time up in a  _ tree _ watching Ellie and her class as they played outside. Ellie just remembers seeing him there and going to talk to him, until her teacher saw him and called the cops not realizing Oliver was not a peeping tom but just ridiculous over protective parent. 

Her mother used her loud voice that day.

“Nothing, probably stood up too quickly.” Felicity reassures, she takes one look at Oliver and then turns Ellie, then back to Oliver again an unreadable expression on her face and Ellie is beginning to get nervous.

“You were standing up.” Oliver looks at her concern, placing the back of his palm on her cheek, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Time seems to stand still for her parents the moment they lock eyes, and Ellie wishes she were anywhere but here. Her mother places her hand on her father’s, he squeezes her fingers in return and then lightly brushes his knuckles against her cheek but when her mother sighs softly and  _ nuzzles _ her father’s hand Ellie has checked out and moves away from the nauseating pair in a flash. Her uncle Roy pops up behind her and only smirks at her, he looks at her parents then back at her and wiggle his eyebrows. 

“Stop it.” She hisses. 

Her parents are having a hushed conversation, a conversation Ellie for once does not want to hear, but the fact that her father has yet to turn on her at least comforts her. She knows her mother has not spilled the means, her mother is a big advocate on secrets should only be told be the person keep said secret. So Ellie can assume that if her father finds out who she is, it will be all on her, or he’ll figure it on his own. 

She looks across at her parents once again and sees that her mother is now looking at her and smiling warmly, Ellie rolls eyes, her mother is going to give away her secret without trying.

“So, how do we begin looking for this stone?” Diggle asks coming back into the centre of the room, both he and Roy thankfully not questioning Ellie about the breakdown she knows they all heard.

“We need to deal with Malcolm first.” Oliver says stubbornly.

“By deal I hope you mean kill.” Her mother’s voice is full of venom when Felicity stands she looks at Oliver head on clearly ready for a fight.  

“Felicity, I can’t kill Thea’s father. I won’t do that to her.”

“Oliver, she was the one that set him up, he’s brought nothing but pain to your sister and you and…” Felicity trails off looking across at Ellie her anger dissipating, “Wouldn’t it just be easier to kill him now rather than the stone? I’m assuming he gets his slimy greedy hands on it and uses it?”

Ellie had forgotten how quick her mother’s mind can work, “Yes but it’s not for at least a decade or less and…”

“No offense, but I’m more concerned about my sister’s humanity than your undecided future.” Oliver remarks.

At once the rest of the team are protesting loudly and Ellie groans, they are all going to ruin her cover, she doesn’t know why she tried to fool herself into thinking she’d be able to keep this secret. She’s shaking her head not so discretely at her mother who is pointedly ignoring her.

“Oliver! Ellie would not have come all this way for a joy ride, she came to change the future.” Felicity says stubbornly, “And it seems two  _ decades _ into the future he’s still wreaking havoc on our lives. Tell me it’s not smart to kill him now and save no doubt the countless of lives that were lost because of him?”

She makes such a compelling argument, add that to the fact that the very two people whom Ellie want to save the most, that suffered at the hand of Malcolm Meryln is standing right in front of her, it’s very hard to see logic.

But Ellie knows how its goes, her uncle Barry has taught her so much over the years in particular about time travel and alternate realities and the one thing she cannot mess with is the fate of another person’s life. Taking a life before their time is the biggest no no in time travel, the counter effects for that is astronomical and a chance Ellie can’t take, no matter how much she wish she could.

“We can’t.” Ellie says softly, she rubs her face tiredly, the past few days events catching up with her, “This isn’t one of those, do you save five strangers or one family member from a burning building thing. This a cosmic order of life thing, going back in time and taking a life before it’s meant to be taken can have  _ terrible _ consequences and that can wreck the timeline so badly I could just cease to exist. It’s bad enough that you all know so much about me, but your timeline needs to continue as it did. I only came back here to destroy an inanimate object. Destroying that change the course of events, almost like a domino effect without risking the natural order of life.”

“It’s like Blondie 2.0” Roy remarks, earning a glare from everyone but Felicity who only grins proudly, but then hides her smile when Oliver looks at her curiously.

“And you’re certain Ra’s isn’t going to kill him, or worse Malcolm sets Thea up?” Oliver asks with uncertainty, his fingers twitching at his side and Ellie knows he’s getting impatient. 

Ellie shifts uncomfortable, she can’t just outright lie to her father, she never could. “I can’t really answer that without giving things away and before you get all huffy, you have to remember I am from a few  _ decades _ in the future. Everything I know about your lives I’ve heard stories, second hand sometimes third hand stories. My uncle Barry...ugh damnit keeping things a secret is so much harder than you think it would be...anyway my uncle Barry only knew pieces of stories and his memory wasn’t the best. He just remembers my mother preferred talking about going off the grid in Bali for a week rather than details like the kind of man Ra’s al Ghul was...uh is.”

Ellie doesn’t seem to notice her misstep until her father spins on her, his eyes narrow suspiciously when he speaks, “Wait, who is your mother?”

It takes everything in Ellie not to automatically look at her mother, but before she can formulate a plan the door at the entrance of the lair slams open and sharp heel clicking the metal stairs echo in the room as a unfamiliar voice yells for her father.

“Oliver!” 

An unfamiliar blond walks down the stairs making a beeline for her father, everyone else doesn’t seem bothered by her presence so it’s obviously not some unknown person, but she’s pretty much a mystery to Ellie and for the life of her Ellie cannot recall who else could be helping her parents in the lair when her uncle Roy is still Arsenal.

“The league took Malcolm Merlyn? And Thea said you want to get him back? Are you out of your mind.” 

“That’s what I said.” Her mother pipes up, not even flinching when her father glares at her. Her mother always said she was immune to her father’s grumpy face.

“Laurel, I have it under control.” 

Laurel Lance.  

Now Ellie remembers, she finally recognizes her from all the pictures her Grampa had. Ellie’s confusion was not lost to her mother, whom she forgot has been watching her like a hawk since she figured Ellie out. Now  her mother is looking at Laurel utterly stricken, there is only one reason why Ellie would be so confused by Laurel’s presence and Felicity has figured it out already.

Ellie is  _ really _ beginning to hate time travel.

* * *

 

_ Summer 2023 _

 

_ Six year old Ellie wraps her arms around her uncle Barry’s neck tightly, her little legs hugging him as close as possible as she screams loudly in his ear. Uncle Barry is zipping through building moving up and down and all around like a never ending rollercoaster and it’s the best feeling in the world. Ellie just wants to raise her hands up like when she goes on the roller coasters, but she knows she’s not allowed so instead she screams loudly in joy.  _

_ When they finally come to a stop in front a small little cottage Ellie frowns, tugging on uncle Barry’s mask until it falls back so she can see his face, “Can we do that again?” _

_ Barry laughs wholeheartedly, the joy not quite reaching his eyes, but six year old Ellie is none the wiser, “Sorry kiddo, maybe next time. Uncle Barry has to go back and help your Daddy and Aunty Thea…” _

_ “Fight the bad guys I know.” Ellie says with a bout, “But whys am I all the way here and not with Sara? Sara and I always goes with Aunty Lyla when the bad guys come.” _

_ “I know you miss your friend kiddo, but you just need to stay here for a little while.” Barry promises, he then looks up and waves at Ellie’s uncle Roy who is now making his way down the wooden stairs. _

_ “Uncle Roy!!!” Ellie screams loudly already shooting out of Barry’s arms and launching herself onto Roy. She then looks at him with wide eyes looking around the house nervously, “Is your name Roy here or do you have anothers name?” _

_ “It’s Jason, munckin” Roy says warmly pressing a kiss to Ellie’s cheek. Ellie giggles her little hand rubbing Roy’s smooth cheeks, she’s used to her father’s stubble cheeks tickling her. “Your cheeks smooth like uncle Barry.” _

_ Both men grunt in acknowledgement the tension between the two is obvious except for the six year old. Roy hugs Ellie closer to him his mood sombering when he remembers exactly why Ellie is here.  _

_ “Are you sure you guys don’t need some extra pair of hands?” Roy asks. _

_ Barry shakes his head in the negative, “Watch Ellie, keep her safe. That’s the best thing you can do right now. No one has a clue where you are and it’s not like anyone can follow me. They’ll be able to work better knowing she’s safe and away from all of it. We have some reinforcements coming in. Sara is bringing some of her travel buddies.” _

_ Roy nods in understanding and places Ellie on the floor, “Munckin, why don’t you go inside and see what’s waiting for you in the kitchen.” _

_ “Did you make cookies?” Ellie asks already bouncing on the balls of her feet in eager anticipation. _

_ “You’ll have to go and see.”  _

_ Ellie sighs dramatically but nods nonetheless, she walks two feet away from the adults before she stops and spins on her heels and runs to Barry hugging him tightly, “Be safe Uncle Barry. Tell Mommy and Daddy and Aunty Thea and Uncle John I love them plenty plenty plenty.” _

_ Barry’s breath catches in his throat at her words but her hugs tightly, “I’ll let them know.” _

_ “See you soon uncle Barry!” She calls that over her shoulder as she’s already running up the stairs and into Roy’s small little cottage. _

_ “How bad is it?” Roy asks _

_ “Really bad.” Barry ruffles his hair in frustration, “We don’t know how he’s doing this, bringing back all these things...I can’t even call them people.” _

_ “And Oliver and Thea?” _

_ Barry only shakes his head in the negative, “Killing assassins is one thing, but they were like family to them.” _

_ “Thea.” Roy licks his lips but then continues, “Thea’s going to lash out, and not want help, but she needs…” _

_ “I know what she needs.” Barry snaps, but then pauses knowing Roy is only trying to help, “I’m sorry, things haven’t been easy these past few days. I’ll look out for her, you know I will.” _

_ Roy nods his head towards his house where Ellie is currently residing, “Bring them back to her, don’t let Oliver be an idiot. Ellie can’t go through what we all have been through.” _

_ “Ellie won’t suffer that kind of loss.” Barry promises, “Even if I have to take them myself and ship them off to another realm.” _

_ Roy can’t help but laugh at that despite the serious of the situation, “Yea that still freaks me out, that there is a girl who can fly of all things.” _

_ “Multiple earths you can accept, but a flying girl you can’t?”  _

_ “Dude, free air travel for life.”  _

  
_ Both share a soft chuckle for brief moment before they both get sombre, Roy holds out his hand to Barry and shakes it firmly, “Be safe Barry.” _


	7. Chapter 6

“So, you’re going to leave him there,  _ temporarily? _ ” Laurel’s tone of incredulity, “you’re going to what, let him sweat for a while so you can gain his trust? Oliver, you can’t trust him. The man is a killer, you can’t possibly think…”

 

“Laurel!” Her father all but shouts, his frustration evident, he and Laurel have been going back and forth about this for awhile now and Ellie herself is beginning to lose her patience, “He is Thea’s father and my only way of defeating Ra’s Al Ghul.”

 

“If Thea wants to offer up her father to that demon I say let her.” Laurel growls folding her arms over her chest, “He’s responsible for Sara’s death, Tommy’s and not to mention hundreds of others.”

 

If she only knew the truth behind those words. 

 

“If he’s saying Malcolm is stuck in Nanda Parbat for the time being and you  _ want _ the man to stay there I don't understand what you are complaining about.” Ellie remarks tiredly. 

 

Laurel pauses and spins around to look at Ellie then back at Oliver, “You took two years to tell me who you were and almost three to tell your sister and she knows everything including things about the league?”

 

“You could have just asked me who I was.” Ellie gripes, arms folded over her chest as she glares at Laurel. No one may have been welcoming when they first met her, but they at least weren’t hostile towards her. 

 

“Ellie.”

 

Her mother’s warning comes out loud and clear, the finger pointed at Ellie only making her take a step back with a sheepish shrug, Ellie just doesn't have the time for these back and forth games. Felicity then turns Laurel with a calming smile, or forced smile as the case may be. She rarely talked about Laurel, but Ellie was always under the assumption it was because they were close and the other woman’s death was just too hard for her mother to discuss. Now, Ellie is not to sure what to expect she knew Laurel was on the team for a brief stint but she just isn't sure when exactly that happens, certainly not now.

 

“Ellie is...a friend that needs some help.” Felicity explains not at all sounding convincing, even more so when she turns to Ellie briefly her eyes going soft.

 

Her mother is an open book, honestly. 

 

Ellie can’t hide the fact that her mother finds it hard to referring to her a simple friend, makes her warm and wanted in a way Ellie hasn't felt in over 5 years.

 

“Help with what?”

 

Ellie knew the question is coming but she still winces, the last thing they need now is to bring Laurel into this when Ellie knows Laurel’s fate is less than a year from now. Ellie does not want to put that kind of burden on her, same way she refuses to tell her Uncle Roy that in a few short weeks he will be running for his life, going into hiding. It’s not only to preserve the timeline no matter how messed up it probably is but she knows from her uncle Barry’s personal experience people don't deal well with their inevitable fate. Which is to be expected.

 

“We can’t go into the details.” Felicity explains evasively

 

Laurel looks like she's about to protest but Felicity walks up to her and they have a short hushed conversation. Laurel’s pinched expression hasn't changed but she gives Oliver one last withering look and then stalks off.

 

“What did you say?” Her father asks curiously as the door to the lair closes.

 

“That this new problem is a good distraction and hopefully you’ll get your head out of Merlyn’s ass by the end.” 

 

Ellie and her uncles all snort at the flippant remark but her mother only smirks in response. Oliver for the most part only grunts in return. “I made contact with someone and I'm waiting for a response. Don't get your hopes up because I'm not on the best of terms with the Bratva.”

 

Ellie wants to protest, tell him that she doesn't have time to waste but she knows next to nothing about her father’s involvement in the Bratva. She learned Russian from when she was younger, her ability to absorb knowledge fascinated her parents and they taught her so many things. As she got older she forgot most of the mundane things but she always loved speaking a different language and Russian just stuck with her.

 

“You’ll let me know as soon as they contact you? You won't go off and find out what they know without telling me?” Ellie counters knowing exactly how her father works because that is exactly what  _ she _ would do.

 

“These people aren't the most welcoming especially to outsiders knowing about their inner workings.” Oliver warns.

 

“Ellie, maybe it's best Oliver deals with them…” her mother’s voice is uncertain and full of worry and this is exactly why Ellie did not want to get anyone else involve much less know her identity.

 

“No! We had a deal, I took your help provided I am involved. This is my problem and no one else's. If you aren't going to include me I can find out for myself without your help.” 

 

“Ellie, you can't possible think that I would let…”

 

“I have a job to do, Felicity.” Ellie says firmly she can see the hurt in her mother’s eyes but she can't back down from this she won't. “I only came back here to do one thing and I can’t afford the distractions. I can't fail my family like that.”

 

It’s a low blow but her words have the desired effect, Ellie can see the fight slowly diffuse out of her mother as her shoulder’s slump in defeat and Felicity nods in acceptance. “Alright, just try and not make any stupid decisions, I've had my quota of of stupid decisions for the year.”

 

Roy snorts loudly and doesn't even bother to try and cover up his amusement they all know her mother snide remark was directed at her father. Ellie looks across at her father in question but he’s got unreadable expression his eyes filtering from Ellie to Felicity and back. 

 

However, Oliver doesn't say anything which is unnerving to say the least. Before Ellie could question him, because she's almost certain he has something planned, her uncle John speaks up gathering their attention.

 

“Well since we’re in the waiting game, Lyla is making lunch and has invited everyone over.” 

 

“Count me in.” Roy says rubbing his hands together in anticipation, at everyone’s amused look he just shrugs unapologetically, “what? I'm hungry.”

 

“I think I’ll pass John.” Oliver says his eyes shifting to Felicity briefly then back to Diggle, “I want to check on Thea.”

 

“Why don't you invite her?” Felicity offers taking a step towards him as putting her hand on his forearm, “you said you were giving her some space, but maybe try and involve her more so she doesn't feel like Malcolm was the only person in her life. You told her your secret for a reason, let her see all of  _ this _ is more than just saving the city.”

 

Her father pauses at her mother’s words, looking at Felicity in utter wonderment. Ellie can only roll her eyes in return. It seems like he always looked at her as though she hung the moon. 

 

“Alright, I’ll call her.”

 

Just like that the tension was gone and everyone began to make a beeline for the exit. Ellie can only laugh when her Uncle Roy asks Uncle John in a hopeful voice if Lyla made her famous, well soon to be famous baked chicken.

 

* * *

 

 

She walks into the small unfamiliar apartment slightly anxious to see her Aunt Lyla, being back in the past is still so surreal to her especially every time she sees another family member, especially one that she’s most familiar with. Her mother is hovering, not exactly next to her but not far away either. Ellie suspects Felicity isn’t sure  _ how _ to deal with Ellie how to talk to her now that she knows who Ellie is, but she can’t in good mind just ignore Ellie either. Her father has been watching Felicity’s sudden interest in her and Ellie just knows things are going to blow up in her face sooner rather than later. 

 

She walks into the living room, feeling slightly out of place as everyone else makes themselves at home, clearly dinners at the Diggle household is a thing in this time. Growing up she’s always remembered everyone coming over to their house for dinner, her dad would make some of his famous baked chicken cordon bleu with pasta and now Ellie is nostalgic for her father’s home cook meals. She looks across him standing in the corner of the room his arms folded eyes trained on her mother and she suspects  _ this _ man probably can’t make an omelette.

 

Between her anxious, hovering mother, and this cold, hard suspicious person Emily feels like that reunion she so desperately craved for over 5 years is nothing like what she hoped for and it’s disconcerting, disappointing to say the least. It’s silly because Ellie  _ knows _ these two people aren’t her parents, not yet, but a small part of her thought they would just  _ know _ her on the spot and that it would erase the last 5 years of pain. 

 

Ellie takes a seat on the couch and suddenly yelps when something hard pokes her in the thigh, flying up she pulls out a stuffed giraffe. It’s brand new, the plush material is soft to the touch, both eyes are round and definitely intact, but it looks exactly like Ellie remembers it, “ _ Hippo _ .”

 

“I think it’s a giraffe.” Roy supplies, totally missing Ellie’s broken tone, but her mother the ever observant person that she is looks at Ellie with concern. “They didn’t teach you that in future school? Are there schools in the future?”

 

His ridiculous question pulls Ellie from her past and she looks at him in disbelief, “I’m from  _ 20 _ years in the future, what do you think? Sara called him Hippo the giraffe.”

 

Ellie brushes the soft white mane on the stuffed animal, still marvelling at its pristine condition. The Hippo she knows had a different coloured leg stitched on when she and Sara fought over him when Ellie was two and Sara didn’t want to share him. Hippo’s white maine was also purple from the time Ellie and Sara decided they wanted to be hairdressers so they took Ellie’s mother’s permanent markers and coloured the hairs on  _ all _ their stuff animals various colours of the rainbow.

 

“You know my daughter?” A familiar voice calls out to Ellie, filled with uncertainty. 

 

Ellie spins around eagerly, her smile faltering on seeing the smiling six month old in her Aunt Lyla’s arms. Sara’s familiar wild, curly, brown hair is barely little tufts on her round head, she has a toothless smile as she begins to recognize familiar faces, her chubby little hands raising in eager anticipation to go to someone. It’s her deep brown eyes that causes Ellie’s heart to clench, Ellie knows those eyes well, they were the very last things Ellie saw before she said goodbye to the love of her life. 

 

Ellie licks her lips, finally tearing her gaze away from those mesmerizing brown eyes that are attached to a completely unfamiliar source, and looks up at Lyla who Ellie is certain is keenly aware at the way Ellie takes in her daughter. “We were friends growing up.”

 

“Growing up?” Lyla hugs the baby too her, much to the six months old protest, “Do you...do you know her now?”

 

Ellie bites her lip with uncertainty, she looks at her Aunt Lyla’s hopeful expression and then at her Uncle John who looks just as eager to know about their daughter and Ellie knows he’s been fighting that question since he believed that she was from the future. “I can’t answer that.”

 

Her Aunty Lyla’s crestfallen expression has Ellie immediately back tracking despite her better judgement, “But….but I can tell you the last time I saw Sara...the last time I saw her. Sara was the happiest she’s ever been.”

 

A wide smile blossoms over Aunt Lyla and she turns to Uncle John who is equally moved by Ellie’s words. When they hug, squishing a not too pleased baby Sara, Ellie can’t look anymore and turns away, her eyes closing as she tries to hold back her tears. 

 

This is one secret she  _ refuses  _ to divulge no one deserves that kind of news, anymore than Ellie can stomach to talk about it. 

 

The world she lives in is such a terrible place and Ellie won’t go back to that, she quickly excuses herself to use the bathroom grateful that her mother doesn’t follower her. 

 

Once she’s back and more composed she sees everyone at the table waiting for her minus baby Sara whom she purposely looks for and sees the baby in a swing bouncing happily with no care in the world. Ellie takes a seat at the table between Roy and her mother but startles when she sees her Aunt Thea, someone must have told her not to say anything because Thea only throws her curious glances all throughout the meal. 

 

“So you’re really from the  _ future _ ?” Thea blurts out after a few minutes of silence not surprising Ellie in the slightest, Thea cheeks turn red in embarrassment and she turns to Oliver apologetically, “sorry, Ollie but you can’t tell me that you have some new friend from the  _ future _ and expect me to just believe it. That’s like you telling me you know the Flash.”

 

At everyone’s guilty looks Thea gapes, “You know the  _ Flash _ and you didn’t tell me? You didn’t introduce me? Ollie…”

 

“Thea, not the time.” Oliver remarks more than anything, but Ellie can’t help but giggle at the exchange, it’s been so long since she’s just had a simple  _ meal _ with her family. She just sits and watches on taking it in. Ever so often her mother would throw her a glance, but after awhile she gets sucked into a conversation with Aunt Lyla and Ellie is grateful that her mother has relaxed enough to enjoy herself as well.

 

Ellie knows the moment her father hears back from the Bratva that she will be back to her mission for this one little moment she just sits back and enjoys the familiar chatter than she should she would never hear again.

 

A few minutes later Ellie collapses onto the floor right next to the baby swing, unable to tear her eyes away from Sara’s little round face as the baby babbles incoherently at a stuffed bear that’s attached to her swing set. Her little chubby legs can barely touch the floor but each time her toes hit the floor she squeaks and bounces again. 

 

When Sara catches sight of Ellie though she pauses, her little head tilts to the side and Ellie braces herself unsure if her unfamiliar face will cause the baby to cry, but to Ellie surprise Sara only reaches out a chubby hand to her, her little fist opening and closing in greeting. 

 

“Hey Sae-Sae.” Ellie greets her voice breaking slightly as she reaches out to grab Sara’s little hand. 

 

Sara though is not pleased with that greeting both her hands raising up clearly indicating she wants out of the swing, but Ellie is not brave enough to do that, nor is she sure Aunt Lyla would want her to. Instead, Ellie flicks one of the toys on Sara’s swing and Sara’s eyes light up in delight, Ellie all but forgotten as she turns her focus back on her toys.

 

“You’re in love with her.” Her mother’s voice startles Ellie so much she almost slips and faceplants into the soft rug she’d been lounging on. 

 

“What?” Ellie stutters feigning confusion, but seems like no matter what time she is in, her mother is still her mother and can see right through her.

 

Felicity looks at Sara sending the baby a smile and pressing a finger on Sara’s buttons nose causing both of them to giggle, it seems to be a ritual they both have cause Felicity leans forward and Sara slaps her palm against Felicity’s nose much more forcibly. 

 

“She is one of those things you came back to fix.” her mother says softly, her own eyes getting glassy as she looks at the baby. “You lost her, because of this battle. The battle that Malcolm Merlyn seems to have caused.”

 

Ellie is unsurprised by her mother’s astute observation, after all if she figured out who Ellie was with such little information, it’s no surprise she figures this out as well. Ellie has unfortunately not heed her Uncle Barry’s warning and she’s told her family far more than she ever was suppose to. 

 

“It’s so much more than that.” Ellie confesses, her voice soft, her eyes still trained on Sara, who has now gone back to her bouncing. It feels so good to release this weight that has been put on her shoulders, even if she can’t give her mother exact details. “Sara….Sara was the last straw for me, I know bad things happen. I’m all too familiar with that, but that world I came from, that world was filled with so much pain and torture, it’s not the world you guys wanted me to grow up in. It wasn’t natural.  Malcolm Merlyn….he messed with things he did not understand and the  _ world _ suffered because of it. I need to stop that from happening, and I only hope that will bring back the people I lost as well.”

 

“Ellie, I promise you we will fix your future.” her mother promises, “we’ll make things right again. I still think we should tell your...tell Oliver who you are. He deserves to know and I don’t feel comfortable keeping this secret from him.”

 

“You can’t.” Ellie implores, she looks over her shoulder, and she’s unsurprised to see her father looking over at them, despite the fact that he’s suppose to be in conversation with Aunt Lyla and Aunt Thea. “There are things I will have to do in order to finish what I came to do and I can’t do that if he knows, it’s bad enough all of you know, but Dad...Dad can get a bit…”

 

“Grr?” Her mother offers even so much to raise her hand in demonstration, in makes Ellie laugh until Felicity face turns slightly pale, “Dad...wow that’s right Oliver is someone’s dad... _ your _ dad and I...oh wow.”

 

Her mother sits back against the couch, hand against her chest, and Ellie only watches on in amusement, she was waiting for the moment her mother  _ really _ made the connections, “I’m someone’s mom. I’m a  _ mom _ how did that happen?”

 

Ellie wrinkles her nose at the question, “Do I  _ really _ have to spell that out for you? That conversation was bad enough when I was 12 and…”

 

“No! I suffered that conversation with my own mother  _ multiple _ times enough as it is.” Felicity says shuddering slightly in memory. 

 

“Grandma always did have a special way of talking about things like that.” Ellie says her nose wrinkling at some of the things she was unfortunately to privy too.

 

“Grandma….uh she probably loved that.”

 

“She’s the best.” Ellie says truthfully.

 

Felicity smiles warmly in return, glancing briefly across the room at Oliver, “I’m glad you had at least one grandparent in your life.”

 

There is a soft gurgle and Sara pulls both women from their conversation, Felicity only laughs when two chubby arms stretch out to her and she automatically takes the squirming baby from the swing, placing her on her lap peppering the baby with kisses before she spins her around to face Ellie and Sara gives Ellie a toothless smile in return. Ellie raises her hand to Sara and Sara slaps it in eager return.

 

“It’s so weird seeing her like this.” Ellie offers, she can tell her mother is  _ itching _ to ask questions, many, many questions and Ellie is just grateful she’s holding back and allowing her to divulge whatever information Ellie feels comfortable with. “My earliest memory of Sara was playing hide and seek in the Arrow cave and getting in trouble for using Dad’s arrows as swords. We thought it would be safer than using the  _ actual _ swords.” 

 

“Oliver must have  _ loved _ that.” her mother says dryly, grinning at the thought.

 

“He was more afraid that we’d use the explosive arrows instead of the regular ones.” Ellie says with a shrug, she then looks at Sara with a grin, “But we figured out which one was which  _ long _ time, right Sae-Sae?”

 

The baby has no clue what Ellie is saying but giggles nonetheless at the nickname. “How long were the two of you…”

 

Ellie freezes at her mother’s words, “I can’t answer that.”

 

“Did we...did Oliver and I approve…”

 

Ellie heart clenches at the question, for so long she wondered what her parents would think, and of all the scenarios the thought of, sitting with a 6 month old Sara in her mother’s lap 22 years before she was born was not one of them. 

 

“I can’t answer that.” Ellie admits, and it’s basically a confirmation that neither Felicity nor Oliver were around to approve in the first place.

 

“Oh.” 

 

The soft gasp of realization cuts through Ellie as her mother’s hold on Sara tightens involuntary, and Ellie knows she’s said too much. There is only so many ways a person can take the news of their untimely death and it’s something Ellie never planned on telling her parents. There is so much she wants to say, to reassure her mother but Ellie can’t find the words.

 

“Well, that’s what you came back for right? To fix the future.” Felicity says with conviction, “I’m sure once we stop Merlyn once and for all so many of our problems will disappear as well.”

 

“We can’t kill him.” Ellie warns and unsurprisingly her mother growls in frustration.

 

“You’re not singing that tune too, you basically just told me he’s the reason I don’t make it to 50. What purpose can we possible have for keeping him alive?”

 

“It’s just time travel works in a way that you can’t go back and remove a person from the timeline it could lead to catastrophic events.” Ellie reasons, and she knows her mother wouldn’t see it that way. “Other people’s destiny are tied to his existence, just as much as other people’s deaths but this magical stone, it’s power exists outside of the cosmic order of life and Dad’s right no one should have that kind of power least of all Malcolm Merlyn.”

 

“In other words there are some things that we will benefit from the jackass and we need to keep him around, just make sure he doesn’t have any shiny new toys to play with.  _ Lovely _ .” 

 

“Essentially.” Ellie confirms her own forehead wrinkling in confusion, “although, with all the knowledge that you  _ do _ know I’ve probably messed with the timelines already? Uncle Barry always said that fate has its own plans, and no matter how much times he tries to fix things, certain events are just meant to be no matter what.”

 

“That’s not exactly comforting.” Her mother says biting her lip in thought and Ellie doesn’t need to ask, she knows they are both thinking about her death and whether or not Ellie being here chances things or not.

 

“No, it’s not.”

 

“If it helps, Oliver and I...your father and I...we  love Sara like our own and…” Her mother is completely botching up her little speech something Ellie has never seen before, but the sentiment is there all the same and Ellie’s heart swells. From the moment Ellie realizes she had feelings for Sara and even more so when Sara returned them, Ellie has always wondered what her parents would say, Sara took Ellie by surprise and even she wasn’t expecting it, but to know that they would approve it makes Ellie want to fight for a new future, a better future more than anything. “I’m saying a lot of ‘we’ and ‘our’ and Oliver and I are neither of those things at the moment, hell we haven’t even had a proper date much less...well you don’t need to know the details.”

 

“No. I  _ really _ do not.” Ellie insists, she then shrugs her shoulders sheepishly, “but me sitting here talking to you means that eventually the two of you sort out things.”

 

“Eventually, like when?” her mother prods, despite knowing Ellie can’t answer her, “Cause I gotta tell you lately I don’t know if I want to strangle him or kiss him and… you didn’t need to know that either.”

 

“No, I really did not.” 

 

“Sorry, it’s just nice to talk to someone about this.” her mother confesses, her cheeks pinking up. Ellie is reminded once again how far in the past she’s truly come, her mother and Aunt Thea have always been close, but Ellie realized tonight that they are still practically strangers.

 

“If it helps, you always said Dad was worth it.” Ellie offers, she figures nothing is wrong with nudging her parents along a bit.

 

Before her mother could comment though the shrilling sound of a phone cuts through the living room, and when her father answers the call in a brisk manner in Russian Ellie knows the time has come.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Summer 2035 _

 

_ “So, you’re finally a high school graduate, what’s the first thing you want to do?” Sara Diggle’s voice is soft Ellie’s ear, her fingers carding through Ellie’s blonde locks, almost tugging Ellie into slumber.  _

 

_ They are lying on the roof of Ellie’s Aunt Thea’s house, a soft plush blanket under them, pillows bracing Sara’s back as Ellie rests her head on the older girl’s chest, their legs tangled up together. It’s a warm summer night, both girls are in shorts and tank tops, having changed out of their fancy clothes from Ellie’s graduation party. Ellie has been particularly subdue for most of the day, the constant reminder that yet another milestone in her life her parents will not be apart of. _

 

_ Ellie runs her fingers along Sara’s bare calf, “I just want to stay right here, in this moment with you.” _

 

_ “Elle.” Sara’s voice is soft and full of sympathy and is the last thing Ellie wants to hear right now.  _

 

_ She’s seen in it her classmates eyes all day, in her aunts and uncles as they hug her and stand with her for official pictures, she just wants to not thinking about her parents for one moment. She can feel Sara tugging on her hair slightly trying to get Ellie to look at her, to talk about what’s bothering her, but Ellie doesn’t want or need that right now.  _

 

_ Ellie throws one of her legs over Sara’s, shifting so that she’s straddling her, at Sara’s surprised expression she leans forward hovering over Sara, Ellie’s blonde hair forming a curtain around their faces which are just barely a few inches apart. “Sae-Sae I love you, and I love that you care, but I don’t want to talk about them now. I just want to be here, in this moment with you. I want to celebrate. You said this was a celebration right?” _

 

_ Sara’s eyes narrow at Ellie, and Ellie knows she’s trying to get a read on her, trying to figure out if she should push Ellie or not. However, despite her look, Sara’s hands have already gravitated to Ellie’s waist, her palms flat against Ellie’s ass, and her thumbs slipping below the frayed hemline of Ellie’s jeans.  _

 

_ “I did, but if you want to talk….” Ellie cuts Sara off by pressing her lips firmly against Sara’s, both girls humming softly in approval as Ellie’s hips rocks against Sara’s. Ellie pulls back slightly, her fingers tangled up in Sara’s curly hair, Sara’s hot breath mixing with her own as they both pant softly. “Celebrate with me Sara.” _

 

_ “I just don’t want you to use this, use us to hide behind your feelings.” Sara confesses, her voice filled with uncertainty. Her hands have since stopped their exploration up Ellie’s back, much to Ellie’s displeasure. _

 

_ “I’m not.” Ellie reassures her but off the skeptical look and Ellie only sighs in frustration. She goes to roll off of Sara, but Sara tightens her grip on Ellie’s waist. _

 

_ “I’m sorry, don’t get mad, I just know how you like to bottle things up, and you don’t have to do that anymore. You can talk to me.  I love you.” Sara moves her hand to cup Ellie’s face pulling her in for kiss. _

 

_ No matter how many times they have said those three words in the last few months, Ellie’s heart still soars every time she hears them. “I just, I wish they were here you know? Not just for my graduation, but for everything. I wanted Mom to help me pick out colleges, Dad to make his terrible jokes about what not to do in college and just….this... _ **_us_ ** _. They never got do any of it with me, and they never will.” _

 

_ “I know.” Sara whispers, they both know there are no words she can offer that would comfort Ellie, so instead she just wraps her arms around Ellie and it’s the best thing Ellie could ask for.   _

 

_ Sara places a kiss on Ellie’s forehead and they both stay curled up in each other’s arms, “do you think they would have liked me?” _

 

_ Ellie pulls back at the ridiculous question, her elbows resting on either side of Sara’s shoulders, “ _ **_like you?_ ** _ Sara, I’m pretty sure my parents had loved you longer than they had loved me.” _

 

_ Sara rolls her eyes at the comment, tucking a stray lock of blonde hair behind Ellie’s ears, “ That’s only because I’m older than you are, you dork. You know what I meant.” _

 

_ Ellie sticks her tongue out Sara, but then sobers up, “I like to think they would have love you even more than they already had, just because you make me so happy.” _

 

_ Sara eyes shiny brightly at Ellies confession, “I’d like to think that too, my mom told me as much but I still….” _

 

_ “I love you.” Ellie says with conviction, cutting Sara off yet again, but she doesn’t wait for a response and instead swoops down to pull Sara into a scorching kiss. _

  
_ They may not have been able to be physically present for all these moments in her life, but Ellie likes to think that they were with her today as she crossed the stage. Ellie is slowly beginning to accept this new status quo and finally opening up her heart to other joys in her life, which include the tall, slim love of her life that’s currently squirming beneath her. _


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, your eyes have not deceived you, nor has AO3 alerts messed up. This is an update. I apologize for the delay but real life owns my ass more.
> 
> Fun fact, Ellie was conceived the summer of 2016, safe to say that this universe ignores a LOT of 4b, and well 408 I guess. I'm not sure at what point it diverges but seeing as it takes place in season 3 it doesnt matter.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and reviewing this fic I'm so happy so many of you loved the idea of Ellie and Sara, that was always part of my plan from the very beginning. Ellie has always had the means to go back in time, but Sara was the reason she never did, until things changed.

“This is not how this is going to work.” Oliver all but growls at Ellie, who for the most part refuses to stand down.

 

“Yes it is!” Ellie insists hands on her hips, “I didn't ask for your help so that you keep me in the dark. I need help to find this stupid stone and then destroy it. Nowhere in that plan did it include me  _ not _ going with you. You had to have known that.”

 

“And  _ you _ should realize that we can’t go in their half cocked. We need an  _ actual _ plan.” Oliver is losing his patience, Ellie can tell, but she’s not standing down on this.

 

“We have a plan, you go in and ask…”

 

“Ellie, you just don’t  _ ask _ the Bratva for information.” Oliver shakes his head, “ _ everything _ comes at a price, you bargain with them. You have to offer them up information and in return  _ maybe _ they will let you know what they know. But this, this has always been a  _ folk _ story, this will get the attention of a lot of important people. This stone you’re looking to get hold of is very dangerous.”

 

“No shit sherlock.” Ellie remarks sarcastically, which was  _ not _ the best response, she can see the way her father’s fingers begin to twitch, his annoyance increasing. “I did not come 20 years in the past for a  _ joy _ ride. I am well aware of the seriousness of what I am doing.”

 

“Are you aware of the power this stone possess?” Oliver counters, “The kind of control it takes? The sacrifices that need to be done in order to use it?” 

 

“No doubt, blood for blood or something equally cryptic, but I don’t want to  _ use _ it. I want to destroy it. Toss it into the Pacific ocean, a volcano, I really don’t care as long as Malcolm Merlyn doesn’t get his hands on it.”

 

“Of course my father has something to do with this.” Thea remarks angrily, clearly Oliver did not inform Ellie’s aunt the exact reason for her little trip to the past. “ _ Now _ do you see why we should let the league just torture him, kill him. Just get him off our hands. Ellie had to come back 20  _ years _ in the past to stop him. It’s time for him to die, Ollie.”

 

“That’s what I’ve been saying.” Felicity says in a knowing tone.

 

Oliver rubs his temples in frustration, and Ellie takes pity on him, her father never could handle when both her mother and her aunt ganged up on him.

 

“Removing someone from the timeline before their time could mean catastrophic ramifications,” Ellie explains, at her aunt’s confused look she continues, “taking away the stone and thus eliminating the  _ choice _ from Malcolm is safer way to deal with it.”

 

“Do you really believe that?” Felicity counters, much to Ellie’s surprise. “I’m just saying, the more you say it, the more I feel like it’s just some line you are using to convince yourself that it’s the right thing to do. When it comes to Malcolm Merlyn, I think right shouldn’t be on the table and more that we should do what is  _ necessary _ . There are so many people in your life that you’ve lost, Ellie. I don’t know if it’s tied to him, but it seems to me like he’s a pretty big factor. He’s been fucking with this family….the  _ Queen _ family for almost a decade now. He’s the reason you lost your father Oliver, it’s why you were stuck on that island for five years. No good has come from Malcolm Merlyn, and from what Ellie has told me, your future? Isn’t that much brighter either.”

 

“Felicity!” Ellie warns, and now everyone is looking at her eagerly and Ellie shakes her head, waving her arm in a crisscrossing fashion, “No! There will be no history lesson,  _ ever _ .”

 

“Technically, it’s not really a history lesson, since it hasn’t happened yet.” Roy points out.

 

Ellie ignores him and turns to her father who is giving her that calculated look of his, where he is clearly trying to figure her out, “So, are we going or what?”

 

“There is no  _ we _ in this, Ellie.”

 

“Oh no, there was always a  _ we _ . When you offered to contact the Bratva,  _ we _ agreed that it would be on my terms. I told you I wasn’t going to just sit by and wait. If you were never going to let me go with you, you should have never contacted them in the first place. I could have done it all on my own already.”

 

“Ellie, you don’t mean that.” Felicity protests, and Ellie is slowly losing her patience, judging from her father’s expression, she’s not the only one.

 

She loves her mother, she really does, but  _ Felicity _ isn’t her mother and the sooner Felicity realizes that the better, cause Ellie has a job to do and she can’t do that if Felicity decides she is going to try and be her mother, especially since she knows that Ellie loses her in the future.

 

It’s just too many things for Ellie to think about, and right now Ellie only has one goal in mind and that’s not to feed her mother’s need to baby her.

 

“I’m going, end of discussion.” Ellie says with finality, “so, either you let me come along for the drive, or I’ll just follow you, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to spend half your time trying to lose me, cause I’m pretty good at tracking people down.”

 

Oliver takes a few menacing steps toward her no doubt about to argue, but then growls in frustration as he walks away. Well, tough nuggets for him cause she’s just as frustrated as he is.

 

“Are you gonna fight her? Cause I think she could take you.” Roy offers but then he backs away when Oliver turns on  _ him _ and growls.

 

“I could.” Ellie taunts taking a step towards her father and tugging up the sleeves of her hoodie. 

 

She's never physically fought with her father before. Growing up he's showed her self defense, but for the most part her aunt Thea taught her everything she knows. She's not gonna lie she's slightly intrigued at the idea and she knows he would not hold back since he doesn't know who she is.

 

“No. No.  _ No _ !” Felicity says immediately jumping between the two of them her hands rising and she points an accusing finger at Ellie no doubt for suggesting the notion in the first place. She then shoves Oliver, or at least tries to, “you are not going to  _ fight _ her.” 

 

“Of course not, Felicity.” Oliver says in exasperation not believing she would even suggest it. The exchange only makes Ellie smirk at her father, who narrows his eyes at her.  “I told you, I'm not on good standing with the Bratva. I burnt those bridges a few months ago. If I take you with me they would view you as a threat and in turn  _ me _ as a threat. That won't end well for either of us.”

 

“Since when do they even care about what some woman would do?” Ellie quips, she's heard stories, heard her mother talk about the Bratva enough times growing up to know they care very little about women’s opinions and only see them in one way.

 

“Ellie, you aren't going.” Felicity says firmly. She spins around to face Ellie her arms folded across her chest in a defiant stance.

 

“Excuse me?” Ellie asks incredulously, her mother’s tone isn't as forceful as Ellie remembers but she certainly remembers ‘the don't argue with me Eleanor’ posture. It's slightly freaky that her mother has  _ that _ particular look down and Ellie isn't even a thought yet. “You can’t tell me what I can do.” 

 

“Of course I can.” Felicity remarks automatically, but her cheeks turn red when Oliver sends her a questioning look. “What I mean is, Oliver says it's not safe. You’ve never dealt with the Bratva before, it’s best to follow his lead cause if they get wind of what you’re up to it could mean  _ both  _ your deaths.”

 

“Well I'm not from this time so my death wouldn't mean anything anyway.” Ellie replies flippantly, regretting it immediately at her mother's horrified expression. 

 

She is so busy trying to convince her mother, neither of them have noticed the way her father’s eyes continue to bounce between them, the way the crease between his forehead grows with each exchange.

 

“I’m sorry.” Ellie apologizes taking a short step towards her mother but the remembers their audience and pulls back, “what I meant was I can take care of myself. My aunt taught me everything she knows.”

 

Felicity almost turns her head to look at Thea but stops belatedly, Ellie’s words seeming to register with her. Short of Oliver or Diggle teaching Ellie how to fight, Felicity knows exactly how much Thea knows now, much less 20 years in the future. Ellie knows that although her mother is still wrapping her mind around Ellie’s existence, she can't ignore the facts and she knows her aunt Thea is an excellent fighter.

 

“A little kickboxing class isn't going to help you with the Bratva.” Oliver huffs in annoyance and Ellie just knows he hates the fact that they are discussing this like his opinion doesn't matter.

 

“My aunt would be so offended by that.” Ellie quips back and she smiles when her uncle Roy and John both try to hide their snorts. Even more so when Thea chimes in to ask who the Bratva is.

 

“Oh Speedy.” Oliver entire demeanor softening, “it's a long story.”

 

“I'm beginning to learn all your stories are long ones, Ollie.”

 

“More like they are missing a  _ lot _ of pages and we only get the excerpt at the back of the book.  _ That's _ so faded we barely can make out a word or two.”  Felicity remarks dryly.

 

To everyone’s surprise Thea only laughs in response and then turns back to Oliver, “I like her Ollie.”

 

“Speedy.” Ellie watches in amusement as her father’s ears pink up in embarrassment and the entire room knows exactly  _ why _ Thea likes Felicity or why she's  _ telling  _ Oliver she does.

 

To Ellie's delight her mother seems to get tongue tied at her aunt’s words and both of her parents are now pointedly avoiding each other gazes and it's so fifth grade Ellie wants to laugh, but she has more important things to deal with. 

 

“So what time are we going to this thing?”

 

“No. no. There is no  _ we _ .  _ Oliver  _ is going to go meet with the Bratva and we’ll wait for him to get back to us.” Felicity insists all previous embarrassment gone.

 

“I'm not really the sit on my ass behind the computer and listen to everyone else do the job, kind of person.” Ellie snarks and she regrets it immediately at her mother’s expression

 

Growing up Ellie always had a way of knowing exactly what words would hurt her parents the most, targeting their most vulnerable insecurities. She  _ knows _ fully well that her mother does not just  _ sit _ on her ass all night while the team is out in the field. She has asked that once as a kid naively not realizing it was a sour subject until her father explained to her how her mother single handedly saved 7 members of their team as they were trying to get out of a building, each one of them needing a different exit.

 

Her uncle Barry would sometimes have up to five people telling him what to do, a job that her mother almost always does entirely on her own. She is anything but sitting back and having a  _ drink _ while the others are out in the field.

 

Ellie knows all of this, yet she feeds on that insecurity without a thought, an insecurity that is more prevalent now than ever as they’ve only been at this for the past 2 and half years.

 

“Felicity. I didn't…”

 

Felicity only shakes her head her eyes downcast, “I need some air.”

 

She walks off in the direction Ellie assumes are the bedrooms but when she tries to follow Oliver stands in front of Ellie, his arms folded and his voice firm and Ellie knows for sure she’s not going to like the next thing he says. She also knows that she will listen one way or the other. 

 

“I think you should go.”

 

Ellie goes to protest, but she looks around and everyone seems to be in agreement. That's when Ellie remembers, although they all  _ look _ like her family, they are anything but. If this were her family she would have already gotten a stern talking from her uncle John, disapproving lecture from her aunt Thea and her father, her father would have made her apologize to her mother immediately, no questions asked. 

 

Her uncle Roy though looks torn, he looks at her questioningly no doubt wondering where those harsh words would come from in the first place and he's about to protest but Ellie just shakes her head as she moves towards the front door. 

 

The guilt only eats away at Ellie even more so when she closes the front door and pulls out Roy’s phone breaking the passcode on it with ease. 

 

She access her father’s messages with little effort not believing how easy it was to hack into it from Roy’s phone. 

 

She knows she should apologize to her mother, but with everyone suddenly against her after her harsh words it works to her advantage, hopefully she can finally get what she came for without further endangering her family. It is bad enough they know so much as it is.

 

Less than an hour later she finds herself in one of Starling City’s broken down harbour. Lined with abandoned warehouses.

 

“Could they be more predictable?” Ellie says with a role of her eyes as she tugs her baseball cap lower on her face. 

 

She eyes the large pipe on the floor debating if she should pick it up when the entire atmosphere changes and suddenly there are two sets of hands on her arms. 

 

She reacts instantaneously using the two holding onto her to her advantage by twisting her body and raising her leg simultaneously to kick one out of her grasp. She takes the other one by surprise, twisting his arm back and then flipping him over in one swift move.

 

She’s breathing erratically now, ensuring both men are down for the count but then three more jump out from the shadows, as they do. 

 

She finds herself in a headlock while another person holds back her arms. 

 

Her hands are tied, literally.

 

“You are not Oliver.” A deep voice calls out with a thick Russian accent.

“Thank you captain obvious.” Ellie remarks sarcastically but winces when one of the men kicks her in the back of the leg and she falls to her knees. 

 

“Who are you little girl?” The man says in a menacing voice take a little step closer to her. Ellie thinks that if he had a mustache he would be rolling it between his fingers.

 

“ _ You have information that I need.”  _ Ellie says her Russian clear and fluid surprising all the men to say the least.

 

The short stout man though only laughs in return a laugh that only makes the hair on Ellie's neck stand. That was  _ not  _ a funny laugh, not in the slightest 

 

“ _ Where is Oliver Queen?” _

 

_ “I don’t know who that is.”  _ Ellie lies but gasps when one of the men take a hold of her ponytail and yanks her head back forcibly.

 

“ _ I think you’ll be changing that answer by the time my men are through with you, little girl.” _

 

Fuck. So maybe, just maybe, her father was right and she really is in over her head.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Summer 2021 _

_ “I don't wants it, Daddy”  Four year old Ellie whines as she squirms in her father’s grasp her little swimsuit glad bottom wriggling away from him.  _

 

_ She waves her tiny little arms at him one of which has a deflated Elsa floatie just barely hanging  and grins proudly at getting away from her father, who has the other floatie between his teeth. “I can swims on my own.”  _

 

_ “Honey, you’ve always used your floaties. Don't you want to swim with Elsa?” Oliver offers, knowing the notion always worked on Ellie. _

 

_ “I dont needs Elsa anymore, Daddy. I’m a big girl, you teach me to swim today.” Ellie insists, “Like Sara. No more floaties.” _

 

_ She’s not wrong, Oliver did offer to teach her to swim today, but part of him had hoped she would have forgotten the moment she hit the water, more interested in playing than learning to swim. Ellie loves jumping on Oliver’s back as he swims around the lake, but lately Ellie has been on  a kick that she wants to do everything Sara can do, and that includes swimming. The only problem is Lyla had Sara learn to swim since she was two, Felicity, however has been  _ very _ paranoid at the idea of their own daughter ‘fending for herself in the treacherous waters of a swimming pool’ and thus has put it off until Ellie recently started to beg. Oliver had to promise he’d teach her, just like he taught Felicity that first summer in Bali.  _

 

_ He never took Felicity as a paranoid type, but he’s learned over the past 4 years that their daughter is the exception to many of her rules. It’s the reason why Felicity is currently hold up in their lake house and not out by the lake with them. Ellie doesn’t seem to bothered by it, more concerned with the actual swimming than her mother’s paranoia.  _

 

_ “Daddy, I go swimming now.” Ellie says with a giggle, dirty blonde curls bouncing as she tries to run off into the shore, but she squeals loudly when Oliver grabs her by the waist to pull her back. _

 

_ “Not so fast, munchkin.” Oliver laughs as he tugs her back much to Ellie’s protest. He pulls the deflated floatie from her hand and tosses it next to the other abandoned one. He looks at both floaties and sighs, he’s pretty sure this will be the last time he’s going to be using them and he’s slightly nostalgic at the thought. “No more floaties…” _

 

_ “Yay!” Ellie cheers excitedly, she grabs hold of Oliver’s hand already tugging him towards the lake, “Let’s go, Daddy.” _

 

_ “You have to listen to everything Daddy says.” Oliver warns letting her pull him towards the lake. _

 

_ “Duh.” Ellie says with a roll of her eyes that has Oliver worrying for her teenage years.  _

 

_ “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming,” Ellie singings excitedly as she releases Oliver’s hand and goes splashing into the lake.  _

 

_ “Eleanor.” Oliver calls out warningly when Ellie starts to move further into the lake, the water slowly rising above her bellybutton.  _

 

_ “Daddy, I can do its myself.” She insists, she raises her hands and is just about to dive into the water, but Oliver scoops her up before she could.  _

 

_ “Ellie, we’ve been through this, you can’t swim on your own unless you have your floaties on.” Oliver says sternly as he holds her against his hip. _

 

_ “Well then teach me to swim without my floaties Daddy, duh.” Comes the sassy response.  _

 

_ Oliver only shakes his head in response holding onto her tiny waist so she does goes diving off of him, “Alright, Ms. Queen.” _

 

_ Ellie wrinkles her  nose at the name, “That’s Mommy’s name not mine. I’m Ellie.” _

 

_ “You are, are you?” Oliver asks with a grin her spins her around about to toss her into the lake, but then remembers the lack of floaties and has to pull her back to him, much to his daughter’s protest. _

 

_ “No Daddy! Throw me!” Ellie complains her little hands on his shoulders trying to push him away. _

 

_ “Ellie, you don’t have your floaties.” Oliver points out. _

 

_ “Oh.” She say in realization, little lip jutting out in displeasure, “No jumps?” _

 

_ Oliver shakes his head, “No jumps without floaties. Do you still wanna learn to swim or put back on your floaties?” _

 

_ So maybe Felicity’s paranoia rubbed off him, he knows fully well that Ellie needs to learn to swim, it’s better for both their hearts if she can take care of herself, but the idea of her struggling before she does just doesn’t sit well with him. And maybe, just maybe he’s not ready for her to grow up just yet, it’s bad enough he went into a mini depression when she stopped using her pull up diapers last year.  _

 

_ Felicity laughed at him, when he stood in the baby section looking at the diapers, despite the fact that they had both been practically counting down when Ellie would start potty training, two years before.  _

 

_ That same night, he found Felicity curled up in their bed, holding one of Ellie’s stuffed bears, Mr. Bear apparently Ellie had decided she was a big girl now and didn’t need to sleep with Mr. Bear anymore, so she gave it to Felicity. _

 

_ Suffice to say both he and Felicity are having a hard time at letting go. _

 

_ “Swim. Swim. Swim!” Ellie cheers. _

 

_ Oliver only laughs in response not at all surprised at her answer, her daughter is a bit of a daredevil, something Felicity likes to point out is all him, but Oliver likes to remind her that she’s the one that misses their Arrow work the most when they go on vacation, she didn’t even take maternity leave when she was pregnant with Ellie. Granted they had Prometheus to deal with at the time, but there is always something for them to deal with. _

 

_ “First lesson of swimming.”  _

 

_ “Always listen to Daddy.” Ellie chimes in. _

 

_ “That too,” Olive chuckles and tugs on her wet dirty blonde curl, Felicity suspects Ellie’s hair might turn the light shade of brown that she had when she was growing up sometime in the near future.  “But first lesson, is I’m gonna teach you how to float.” _

 

_ “To float?” Ellie asks in disbelief her head tilted to the side her blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. It’s so uncanningly like her mother Oliver can only grin in response, “Like what Mommy and Grandma Donna do on the lake with the really big floaties? Daddy, I want to swim not float!” _

 

_ “You’re gonna float without any floaties, you need to know how to do that before you can swim.” Oliver promises her, but at her judging look he only laughs.  _

 

_ “I’m not going to swim?” _

 

_ “You’re not going to swim, right now.” Oliver confirms, “You’re gonna float, then you’re gonna swim.” _

 

_ “If I put on my floaties I can go swimming?” Ellie counters, her pinky pressed against her chin as she contemplates her choices, not waiting for Oliver to confirm, because she knows with her floaties she’s allowed to swim out as far as the length of the wooden deck, once Oliver or Felicity is with her. _

 

_ “Don’t you want to learn to swim without it? Like Sara?” Oliver says the magic words, knowing his ridiculously competitive daughter would not be able to let that go. _

 

_ “Nah, I wanna jump off the deck.” Ellie decides, surprising Oliver to say the least. _

 

_ “You don’t want to learn to swim?” Oliver clarifies. He’s beginning to wonder if his and Felicity’s hesitancy to let Ellie learn to swim has somehow rubbed off on their four year old.  _

 

_ “Tomorrow.” Ellie decides at all bothered at the prospect of putting it off, “I wanna jump, now!” _

 

_ Oliver laughs as he begins to walk towards the deck, much to his daughter’s delight. He deposits her onto the deck and she begins to wiggle in excitement little toes curling onto the edge. “That’s too close, Ellie.” _

 

_ “But I want to jump.” _

 

_ “Yes, but Daddy has to go get your floaties first.” Oliver says he places a hand on her stomach, “Step back, Ellie.” _

 

_ Ellie huffs but listens to him nonetheless, he starts moving towards the shoreline where Ellie’s floaties are located, his back to the shoreline so that he can watch Ellie, who is looking at him closely, then at the swishing water below her.  _

 

_ Once he’s certain she won’t jump, Oliver walks up the shore taking a hold of her abandoned floaties. His Ellie is always full of surprises, much like her mother.  _

 

_ “Daddy! Look I swims!”  _

 

_ “Ellie no!” Oliver shouts, watching in horror as Ellie goes splashing into the water, he doesn’t even wait to see if she surfaces, he tosses the floaties to the side and goes diving into the water, and with a few large strokes he reaches his spluttering daughter scooping her up just as she goes under for who knows how many times. _

 

_ The moment he holds onto her, she clings to him sobbing uncontrollably, sobbing out his name between coughs.  Oliver wraps her up in his arms, rubbing back, “I got you, baby. You’re okay.” _

_ “Daddy.” Ellie sobs out again her little hands wrapping around his neck, clinging to him tightly, “I didnts floats. I didnt floats.” _

 

_ “I know, baby. I got you.” Oliver says soothingly, his heart hammering rapidly in his chest. She coughs a few more time, but other than that, she sees more frightened than hurt.  _

 

_ “I want Mommy.” Ellie sobs out, her cold nose pressed against Oliver’s neck. _

 

_ “Let’s go snuggle with Mommy.” Oliver decides pressing a kiss to Ellie’s wet maine, he can feel her little heart still beating rapidly in her chest, but her hold on him loosens so he knows she’s going to be okay.  _

 

_ “Daddy?” _

 

_ “Yea, munchkin?” _

 

_ “Can you teach me to floats and swim tomorrow?” _

  
_ His girl is as resilient as her mother, and Oliver couldn’t be prouder.  _


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. I haven't abandoned this story. I decided I'm going to work like a normal person and focus on one story at a time. Now that These Games We Play is finished my goal is to tackle this story. I hope to have updates much closer together. 
> 
> Thank you all who have still stuck around, this chapter is the chapter is everyone been waiting for...well kinda. I do hope it was worth the wait.

_ “ _ Hey.” Oliver calls out softly as he steps into the nursery to see Felicity sitting in a rocking chair holding onto Sara’s stuffed monkey.

 

Felicity looks up at him her eyes slightly red behind her classes, “Sorry, I’m being ridiculous. I think it was information overload and then she’s just so  _ stubborn _ . I overractived, I know. I'll go apologize…”

 

“I told her to go.” Oliver blurts out.

 

“You what?” Felicity springs out of the chair in a flash, her fingers still clasping the monkey, “you kicked her out?” 

 

“She was out of line, Felicity.” Oliver said stubbornly.

 

“She went to the bratva on her own.” Felicity says rubbing her face in exhaustion, her tired eyes looking at Oliver accusingly, “it's exactly what  _ you _ would have done.”

 

“What? But she doesn't even have the address.” Oliver splutters pulling out his phone, he frowns when he sees the small envelope signalling he has a new message is now open, despite the fact he never opened the message. “I don't understand.”

 

“And  _ that  _ is exactly what  _ I  _  would have done.” Felicity sighs, “your tenacity and my brains is like the evil genius in the making, my mother would call this karma.”

 

“What?” Oliver repeats, he knows what she's saying, he's not going to lie and say the thought hadn't crossed his mind as he watched Ellie’s mannerisms or the way she reacts around everyone in his life, the familiarity in which she has with all of them. But he wouldn't let himself accept that.

 

Felicity, his beautiful, brilliantly understanding Felicity, can see the turmoil filtering across his face and she takes a step towards him, small hand grabbing his own, her blue eyes shining as she looks at him, “Ellie...she’s ours...mine and yours...she's our daughter, Oliver.” 

 

“Ours.” He parrots, as though that would further confirm what Felicity has already said despite the fact she’s said it in every possible way.

 

“Never thought I’d tell you we have a kid like this, and we didn't even have sex yet.” Felicity quips, her eyes then widening in horror at the implications skins do her words, “not that I'm  _ assuming _ we’ll have sex.. I just..”

 

“Given that we have a 20 something year old daughter running around the place, I'm pretty sure sex is implied at some point or the other.” Oliver quips in amusement, Felicity's not so faux pas actually grounding him more than he thought it would.

 

“You’re making jokes?” Felicity asks incredulously, Oliver is almost certain she’s ready to feel his forehead for a fever the way she keeps glancing at him, “I tell you we have a daughter who’s probably...oh god she's not older than me is she? Cause that would be weird.” 

 

“ _ That _ would be weird?” Oliver repeats with a laugh, “that she's  _ older _ than you is weird and not that our  _ grown daughter  _ came back from the  _ future  _ isn't weird?” 

 

“Yes...no...I don't know.” Felicity says in a rush. She takes a set on the bed, fingers tugging at the soft fur of Sara’s stuffed animal. “It's a lot to take in you know? I’d always dream of time travel as a kid, but to know it's a possibility and my... _ our _ daughter is her own modern day Dr. Who...”

 

“I don't know what that means.” Oliver says slightly confused.

 

Felicity shakes her head, with a slight smile, “Let’s deal with one problem at a time.”

 

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips at her comment, but when he takes a tentative seat next to her, he releases a deep sigh, “you’re certain she went after the Bratva on her own?”

 

“Yes, she's been saying as much. I don't think  coming here meeting us was part of her plan it really rattled her.” Felicity says softly. “You know the moment I looked into her eyes, all I saw was  _ you _ .”

 

“Yea?” Oliver perks up at that he the moment he looks at Felicity’s broken expression his throat tightens.

 

“She has that same lost look that you have, that look like she’s lost so much...too much. She's been through more than any person should be allowed.” Felicity says softly, sniffing.

 

“Did she say anything?” Oliver asks softly licking his lips in thought, the idea that he one day has a daughter, with  _ Felicity _ is still hard to wrap his mind around, but to know that he was unable to protect his daughter from all the pain  _ he’s _ endured over the years is shattering.

 

Felicity’s more rattled than he is, and that only puts him on high alert, part of him doesn’t want to ask, doesn’t want to know, then maybe it would not be true. Does he die? Does, god forbid, Felicity die? Do they not get to see their daughter grow up? He has so many questions, he doesn’t know where to start, instead he reaches out to take her hand releasing her tight hold on the stuff monkey’s ear.

 

Felicity eyes fill with tears, “I miss  _ everything.” _

 

_ “Everything?”  _ Oliver’s throats is dry his grip on her hand tightens, his greatest fear being confirmed “you don't...you arent…”

 

“I don't know when it happens. She was hell bent on not telling me apparently keeping secrets is a family trait.”

 

“Felicity…” Oliver chokes out out, fighting back his own tears, her joke falls flat. There will  _ never _ be a time when he could hear a joke about her death. She’s sitting next to him, very real and very much alive, but Oliver’s chest constricts at the thought of one day losing her, “ That’s not going to happen...I  _ won’t _ let that happen.”

 

“Oliver, you can’t promise something like that.”

 

“I can. I will...I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” Oliver confesses.

 

“Oliver, why…” Felicity trails off.

 

“Felicity, you know why. If something were to happen to you, I’d stop at nothing to avenge your death” Oliver’s voice is soft, he can feel the way Felicity tenses besides him, “Felicity, you know how I feel about you… you know that I...”

 

“No!” Felicity jumps to her feet, swiping at the tears that have already fallen, Oliver entire world spins on its axis, he never expected this kind of rejection, not after everything he just found out, not after  _ Ellie _ .

 

“Not like this.” Felicity says softly, “Not when we have a….”

 

“Daughter.” Oliver supplies, his heart still hammering in his chest.

 

“Right. Ellie. Our daughter” Felicity echoes, “We have to stop her before she gets herself killed. She may look like me, but she’s very much your daughter in mind, soul and  _ heart _ .”

 

“Is she here to revenge your death?” Oliver asks, his voice catching on the last word, still unable to say it without his chest tightening, but he can’t help but feel proud of the daughter he doesn’t even know. 

 

“I don’t think so.” Felicity says truthfully, and she can see the way Oliver frowns in confusion, “She lost someone...she lost her love, she said that it was the last straw. She’s lost  _ so _ much. I think she just wants to right all the wrongs in her life. What if I died long before all of that? What if I missed  _ everything _ ? Did I miss her first day of school? Her first steps? What if I missed it all?”

 

“Hey,” Oliver calls out to her softly, pulling her into his arms, and she sags against him in relief, fingers curling into the soft material of his t-shirt, “We’ll stop that from happening...we’ll stop it all. Ellie won’t grow up without you, you’re gonna grow old and get to see our daughter fall in love, get married. You’ll be that grandmother that always bakes them cookies and gives them  _ way _ too much sugar before you send them back to Ellie. She’ll hate it.”

 

“I can’t cook, or bake.” Felicity mumbles against his chest and Oliver can’t help but let out a low rumble laugh, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You’ll buy them all the cookies then.”

 

Felicity lets a small laugh escape just as she takes a step back from Oliver, her eyes a red, her glasses slightly skewed, but she’s smiling. Oliver raises hand and straightens her glasses, smiling at her softly. He cups her cheek, his thumb brushing the lone tear on her cheek. “I promise you, that future Ellie came from, that’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.”

 

Felicity raises her hand, fingers lacing through Oliver’s her eyes soft as she speaks, “you can’t promise that, Oliver.”

 

“I can and I will.” Oliver says with conviction, taking a deep breath before he speaks, “Even if that means killing Malcolm Merlyn.”

 

Felicity’s eyes widen in surprise, she pulls his hand away from her face, but their fingers are still laced together, “Oliver...what happened to not being able to do that to Thea?”

 

“I don’t want to take that choice from Thea, but he won’t be the reason why my daughter grows up without her mother.” Oliver says firmly, “Not while I’m alive.”

 

Felicity licks her lips, her thumb brushing across Oliver’s knuckles, “I wish Ellie wasn’t such a closed book. I have so many questions, about you, about us... _ all _ of us.”

 

“Has she mentioned me at all?” Oliver asks nervously, so far they’ve only spoken about Felicity’s fate and Ellie’s losses, but Oliver can’t help but wonder where  _ he _ is in all of this, “I mean the  _ future _ me?”

 

“No.” Felicity wrinkles her nose in thought, and she squeezes Oliver’s fingers noticing his unease already, “But she obviously knows you very well. She was hellbent on not telling you cause she  knew how overprotective you are.”

 

“ ‘my aunt taught me everything she knows’” Oliver echoes Ellie’s words from earlier, “Thea thought her how to fight. Why didn’t I?”

 

Felicity shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t know, Oliver. We’ve only known her for a little under 24 hours, we can’t expect to know everything. But that’s something we can focus on  _ after _ …”

 

“After we stop her before she makes a terrible mistake.” Oliver says in horror, almost as though he’s only now remembering where Ellie is. “Felicity, the Bratva don’t just dismiss outsiders...they  _ kill  _ them.”

 

“Oh god.” Felicity says in horror, “we need to go  _ now.” _

 

She’s releases his hand, but before she could take two steps forward, Oliver grabs hold of her wrist stopping her. She looks at him confused, “What’s wrong? We’ve got to go, maybe we can intercept her before she even gets there. She can’t be  _ that  _  familiar with the Glades.”

 

“Not that….I…”

 

“Oliver, what’s wrong?” Felicity asks concern, his lost of words making her pause, “Is there something you aren’t telling me? Something else about the bratva?”

 

“What about us?” Oliver blurts out, his cheeks redden and he shifts his weight from one foot to the next, “You and me...what about us? I know now is probably the worst possible time to ask this...I just…I need to know if you and I...if there is a possibility…”

 

“ _ Oliver _ .” Felicity voice is soft, her lips tugging into a gentle smile and this time when she takes a step towards him, she cups  _ his _ face, her thumb rubbing gentle across the coarse hairs of his beard, and Oliver closes his eyes just for a second to bask in her touch. “Exactly two weeks ago, I told you I didn’t want to be a woman that you loved and now...now our  _ daughter _ from the future pays us a visit if that’s not fate knocking on our door...or Charles Dickens as the case may be….telling us that  _ we _ are far from over I don’t know what is.”

 

“It was actually ghosts that visited and showed him his future.” Oliver corrects, his ears pink up though at Felicity’s look of surprised, “I really loved the book as a kid and Mickey’s Christmas Carol was something I watched every Christmas growing up, when Thea was born I introduced her to it.”

 

“You always surprise me, Oliver Queen.” Felicity says with a smile. “I look forward to watching you continue that Queen family tradition with our daughter one day.”

 

With those words she rises on her tiptoes and places a chaste kiss on his cheek, her own cheeks are pink when she pulls back, but she takes his hand and squeezes it, “C’mon let’s go save our daughter.”

 

Oliver knows that her declaration doesn’t fix everything between them, not by a long shot, but he’s comforted to know that they are on their way. 

 

But first...first they have to save their daughter.

 

0ooooo0

 

_ Summer 2032 _

 

_ Ellie slowly wakes up, her eyes squinted in the dimly lit room, when she sees the bay window filled numerous stuffed animals she sighs in defeat. She’s not in her bedroom like she hoped she would be. She’s about to roll off the bed, when she finally notices the long arm across her torso, she shifts slightly onto her back, and is greeted a mop of familiar curly brown hair. She takes a deep breath, the smell of lavender over taking a senses and her entire body is filled with warmth. _

 

_ Sara Diggle is sleeping soundly next to Ellie, her penchant for needing to take up the entire bed, ever present as half her body is already sprawled across Ellie. Not that Ellie is complaining, this is Sara’s bed after all, but that is not the reason why Ellie is okay with her best friend practically sleeping on top of  her.  Having Sara so close brings a comfort to Ellie that she hasn’t had since her mother disappeared and even though Ellie wishes she could just close her eyes and remain in this moment. She can’t ignore the fact that once again, she’s back in her best friend’s room, sleeping in her bed rather than being in her own. _

 

_ It’s the fourth time for the week she’s woken up in Sara’s bed instead of her own, and that once again she finds herself being shipped off to the Diggles, rather than trying to adjust to the new normal that is her life without her mother.  _

 

_ It’s been so long since she’s seen her father, Ellie is beginning to feel like she lost them both. Ellie’s eyes begin to fill with tears once again as she thinks about her mother. It’s only been a month, but Ellie knows that the longer time passes the less likely that her mother would ever come back and the reality of that is slowly beginning to settle in. _

 

_ Ellie’s chest hurts at the thought. Her entire body aches every time she is reminded that she will no longer see her mother again, that she won’t hear her laugh. She won’t hear her lecture her on the importance of school. She won’t get to watch her mother try to make them eggs, and fail epically at it as they laugh at the burnt bottom, and uncooked centre of the failed omelette. _

 

_ “Elle?” Sara’s voice calls out sleepily, and Ellie sucks in her breath trying to stop her tears, but only ends up sobbing out loudly in response.  _

 

_ “Oh Elle.” Sara says softly, tugging Ellie towards her as she rolls on her back, so now Ellie is the one curled around Sara. Ellie’s head is tucked under Sara’s chin, her cheek pressed against the curve of Sara’s breast as her body shakes with sobs.  _

 

_ Sara doesn’t say anything, instead her fingers slowly comb through Ellie’s light brown locks, her nails scraping against Ellie’s scalp knowing it’s one of the few things that calms Ellie. _

 

_ “I miss my Mom.” Ellie confesses, her voice thick with tears. _

 

_ “I know.” Sara whispers softly. She has since stopped promising Ellie that their parents will find her mother, and part of Ellie wishes she would tell again, just one more time so Ellie can hold on to hope for a little longer.  _

 

_ But they both know that living in denial is not healthy for Ellie at least that’s what Sara’s parents have been saying  when they thought both girls were asleep a few nights ago. _

 

_ “I want back my Mom.” Ellie pleads softly, even though she knows it’s the one thing Sara can’t give her. “I just wanna see her one more time.” _

 

_ “You know I wish more than anything I could bring her back for you.” Sara whispers, her own voice breaking, and Ellie’s eyes begin to fill with tears once again. Sara is the strongest  person Ellie knows and yet the moment Ellie breaks down, Sara is right there with her.  “I’m so sorry, Elle.” _

 

_ Ellie only sniffles in return, rubbing her cheek against Sara’s soft skin, “I miss my Dad.” _

 

_ It’s the first time Ellie has voiced this since her mother went missing. She knows her father...their fathers have been working overtime trying to find her mother, turning over every rock, exhausting every source imaginable to find her mother, and while Ellie very much wanted her father, she knew that he needed to be in the Arrow bunker, looking for her mother.  _

 

_ Now, almost a month since her mother has gone missing, Ellie just misses her father, she know he’s hurting too, knows that he’s in pain and that scouring the streets and every where imaginable is how he deals with it. But, Ellie just needs her dad right now, more than anything. _

 

_ “Go get him.” Sara says suddenly her voice full of conviction, and Ellie has to pull back so that she can look her best friend in the eye. _

 

_ “What?” Ellie stutters, wiping her face free of the tears that a streaking down her cheeks. _

 

_ “Go. Get. Him.” Sara repeats this time her voice is hard, “I love your Dad, Elle but he’s got to realize he’s not the only one hurting here. He still has you to take care of and he’s been doing a piss poor job of it.” _

 

_ “He’s been looking for my mom.” Ellie says weakly, part of her knowing how true Sara’s words are. _

 

_ “So has my dad, and yet you’ve had dinner with my dad more times than you’ve had with your own. That’s fucked up, Elle.” Sara says bluntly in the only way Sara Diggle can.  _

 

_ She sits up in the bed, her curly brown hair is a disarray, part of it tumbles over her shoulder, the other part sticks up in all directions, one side of her face has lines from her pillow, and on the corner of her mouth there is a small dried bit of drool.  Yet, Ellie can’t help but think how pretty she looks. Ellie cheeks flame at the sudden invasion of thoughts, and she’s grateful for the dimly lit room to hide her embarrassment, even more so that Sara can’t read her mind. _

 

_ “I can’t just go and find him. I don’t even know where he is, if he’s not in the bunker he could be anywhere.” Elle protests weakly, despite the fact that she’s already trying to figure out how she can get out of the house without Aunt Lyla knowing. _

 

_ Sara scoffs at her words, she leans over Ellie to grab something on the bedside table, but Ellie is too busy watching the way, the material of Sara’s tank top dips at the movement, and Ellie sees right down Sara’s top. When Sara sits back up Ellie quickly looks away, her entire body now on fire, she can’t believe she just did that.  _

_ Luckily, Sara is none the wiser and she slaps Ellie’s phone into her palm, Sara’s fingers are warm against Ellie’s skin a stark contrast to the cold metal of Ellie’s phone, “You’re the smartest person I know. You can’t tell me you don’t know how to hack your dad’s phone and find his location.” _

 

_ Ellie bites her lip, finally looking up at Sara, and Sara’s eyes are twinkling with pride, Ellie can’t help but blush. “ My mom may have shown me how to track everyone’s phone when I was seven.” _

 

_ Sara only laughs in return and squeezes Ellie’s hand, that Ellie’s acutely aware that Sara has not let go of, “I know you, Ellie Queen.” _

 

 _“Even if i do find him. You’re asking me to try and sneak out of Lyla Diggle’s house, I’m good but I’m not_ ** _that_** _good.” Ellie says, a frown filtering across her face, but not at the thought of getting past her Aunt Lyla, but the fact that she had to let go of Sara’s hand to go through her phone._

 

_ Sara scoffs yet again, “Elle, I’m offended that you think I couldn’t get past my mother’s silly alarms.” _

 

_ This time Ellie is the one to scoff loudly in return, as the head of ARGUS, her aunt Lyla’s security system is anything but ‘silly’. After a few seconds on her phone Ellie looks up at Sara, who is now giving her an exasperated look, “You found him already?” _

 

_ “He’s in the bunker.” Ellie says, her voice going soft when she looks down at her silent screen, her chest tightening at the image before her, “He’s just sitting in her chair. He’s not doing anything….he’s just sitting there in the dark.” _

 

_ “What? How did you get all that from a GPS signal?” Sara asks confused. _

 

_ “I know the codes to the cameras in the bunker.” Ellie says holding up the phone to show Sara, “If he’s not looking for her, why is he there instead of  _ **_here_ ** _ …” _

 

_ She trails off, unable to finish the sentence, both girls know that she wants to know why her father isn’t here with her instead of in the bunker alone.  _

 

_ “Hey.” Sara calls out to Elle pulling her away from her thoughts, her hand resting gently on Ellie’s knee, “Go get your dad, he needs you just as much as you need him.” _

 

_ “What if he doesn’t want to see me?” Ellie whispers, voicing her biggest concern since her mother has gone missing and she noticed how she seems to see her father less and less, “what if I remind him too much of Mom and he…” _

 

_ “Tough shit for him then.” Sara all but growls, she moves closer to Ellie, both her hands now resting on Ellie’s knees, “He’s still your dad and he’s doing a pretty shitty job of it lately. Go to him. Tell him that you still need him.” _

 

_ Ellie goes to protest, but Sara shakes her head fingers clamping onto Ellie’s lips, stopping her from talking. It’s a stunt Sara use to pull when they were kids and Ellie would be talking to too much, but they haven’t done that in years.  _

 

_ Ellie tries to talk, but only sounds muffled, when she laughs though Sara suddenly pulls back her eyes wide in surprise and if Ellie wasn’t so focus and her father, she would have noticed the way Sara’s eyes strayed to her lips for the rest of their conversation. “No arguments, Eleanor. Go save your dad from himself.” _

 

_ Sara starts off teasingly, but her tone sombers when she says the last bit, both girls knowing how true Sara’s words are. Ellie nods suddenly overcome with conviction, “You’re right.” _

 

_ “Of course, I am.” _

 

_ Ellie slides off the bed and quickly begins to change out of her pajamas and into her jeans and sweater, her back to Sara the entire time, when she turns around and sees Sara still in her pyjamas though she frowns, “Why aren’t you changing? You have to come with me.” _

 

_ “Elle, I can’t.” Sara says softly already crawling off the bed to walk towards Ellie, “You gotta do this one on your own. You and your dad need to talk, alone. I can’t go with you.” _

 

_ “I...I don’t want to go by myself.” Ellie confesses. _

 

_ “We can talk on the phone the entire time.” Sara promises, once again her hand slips between Ellie’s, “I’ll keep you company while you ride your bike over.” _

 

_ “If you came, you could just drive us there.” Ellie counters weakly. _

 

 _“Lyla Diggle would_ ** _definitely_** _notice if her car was missing.” Sara says with a laugh. She raises her hand and tucks a lock of Ellie’s hair behind her hair, “You know you gotta do this on your own, Elle.”_

 

_ Ellie sighs, Sara’s words ringing through, she’s the only one that can save her father from himself, at least she hopes so. “You’re right.” _

 

_ “When am I not?” Sara quips, instead of laughing with her, Ellie surprises her best friend by engulfing her in a hug, her arms wrapping around Sara’s slim torso. Sara is almost half a foot taller than Ellie, but Ellie rises on her tiptoes so that their chest are pressed against each other and Sara wraps her arms around Ellie pulling her closer. _

_ “Thank you.” Ellie’s words are loaded with so much meaning, so much she wants to say, but can’t.  _

 

_ “You’ll always have me, Elle. No matter what.” Sara promises, her arms tightening around Ellie just a little bit more.  _

  
_ They both know with the state their world is in currently, it’s not a promise Sara can keep, but the sentiment is not lost to Ellie in the slightest. Without really thinking about it, Ellie presses her lips gently against Sara’s cheek and quickly pulls away, avoiding Sara’s gaze as she grabs her phone and bag before dashing out of the bedroom. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to finally be able at the point of the story where I can start really getting into Ellie/Sara's relationship Sara's death was always the catalyst that made Ellie go back in time, I've been giving hints about that since the very beginning of this story, but now I'm finally able to elaborate on their story and I have so much planned for them. I hope everyone enjoys it just as much I enjoy writing them.


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Denise and Angelique who never gave up on me or this fic :)

_ “ _ The two of you didn't do it in the kid’s bedroom, with Minnie Mouse watching did you?” Roy greets Oliver and Felicity as they walk out of the nursery hand in hand.

 

“Of course not.” Lyla bristles her words coming out more as a warning than anything else.

 

“Shut up, Roy.” Felicity huffs at the way the others snicker, but to Oliver’s surprise she doesn’t release her hold on his hand, but instead tightens her grip around his fingers.

 

“Let me guess, we need to go save Ellie from herself?” Diggle quips knowingly.  

 

He leans back against the couch, baby Sara sitting contently on his lap as she looks around at the adults with wide brown eyes, her little hand can barely clasp around Diggle’s thumb, but she has it on a death grip. Over the past few months Felicity has seen her friend in various states of fatherhood, but this image for some reason makes her heart ache. No longer is it about what she wishes to have one day, but now it’s the knowledge of knowing the little girl who could very well be like a daughter to her in more ways than one, will meet her end.

 

Felicity knows what it feels like to lose the one you love and she refuses to let her daughter go through that.

 

“Seems that particular trait  _ is _ inherited.” Diggle continues, this time giving Oliver a pointed look. 

 

“You’d think the genius would offset the stupid though.” Roy remarks, earning a glare from Oliver, and Roy quickly steps behind a confused Thea for protection.

 

Thea narrows her eyes at Roy, but then looks at Oliver questioningly, “What does he mean?”

 

She looks around at the rest of the room and realizes she is out of the loop, with a deep sigh she looks at her brother in exasperation, “What don’t I know?”

 

Oliver bites his lip and then looks down at Felicity, his eyes going soft, “Ellie...she’s from the future.”

 

“Yes, you told me that when you invited me for dinner.”

 

“Ellie is our daughter.” Oliver supplies, he watches Thea closely waiting anxiously for her reaction, Thea though surprises him when her eyes widen in recognition and she points an accusing finger at him.

 

“ _ Little kickboxing classes _ . I’ll have you know I probably taught her out to disarm someone with one hand. Thank you very much, and kill someone with a sword and not make a sound. You’re not the only one with long stories.”

 

“How about we leave the sword fighting till she’s at  _ least _ 20...or 30...or never.” Felicity trails off muttering to herself.

 

Both Queens only laugh in response and the reaction is not comforting to Felicity in the slightest, they start discussing a specific move that Thea pulled on Oliver while they were on  the island and Felicity just knows her protest will go on deaf ears.

 

“Somehow I don’t think the girl that just ran off to face the Bratva on her own would be to pleased at that rule.” Diggle teases seeing Felicity’s stricken face.

 

Felicity narrows her eyes at Diggle, her gaze then fixating on the baby in his hand. Sara looks even tinier than she is in her father’s ginormous arms. “I hope she gives you hell.”

 

Diggle only laughs in return, he presses a kiss to Sara’s soft tuft of curly hair, “Think our girls are friends?”

 

Felicity’s heart clenches at his words, and she smiles widely at him, “The very very best.”

 

Diggle’s eyes widen at her words, “She told you something?”

 

Felicity only scoffs in return, any information she’s gotten from Ellie has only been Felicity figuring it out on her own and Ellie confirming it with an expression. “Are you forgetting who her father is?”

 

“I don’t know from what I’ve seen, Ellie is more your daughter than in just looks.” Diggle points out.

 

“You think?” Felicity asks biting her lip in thought, “I know she looks just like me, I  _ know _ she’s mine but her mannerisms, her stubbornness, her strength I just see Oliver. Not that I am complaining, mind you  I just….it’s stupid.”

“Not stupid, we all hope that our kids inherit the best of us, are the end of the day though, they are their own person. We just gave to hope we raised them right and they know how to make good decisions.” 

 

“I  just hope I’m there to impart whatever wisdom I may have.” Felicity quips trying to lighten the mood, but her joke falls flat.

 

“Does Oliver know about that particular detail of Ellie’s life?” Diggle asks somberly, confirming Felicity’s suspicions that he knows about her fate as well. 

 

“Yes…”

 

“Well I am certain that your fate is still being decided if Oliver has any say in the matter.” Diggle says seriously, “You know that boy would do anything for you.”

 

“Which makes me only worry for  _ his _ fate.” Felicity says with a sigh, watching as Oliver and Lyla discuss something across the room. Felicity has no doubt he’s already making plans on how to get to Ellie.

 

Her phone chimes loudly which interrupts all the conversations in the room, baby Sara seems enthralled by the noise at claps excitedly. Felicity chuckles lightly as she pulls out her phone, her smile dying on her lips.

 

“Did it work?” Oliver asks urgently, taking two strides to get to her side.

 

“Yup, she’s at the address Anatoly sent you.” Felicity said with a sigh, at the curious expressions around her she quickly catches the team up with their plans thus far. “Ellie stole Roy’s phone, used it to hack Oliver’s to get the address. She took off the phone so it took me a while to remotely access it to turn it back on, but I found her. We should get moving before she loses the phone or worst tosses it so we can’t find her.”

 

“You can turn on people’s phones with  _ your _ phone?” Thea asks in amazement, slapping Roy’s hand, has he pats the pockets of his jeans still looking for his phone.

 

“Yea, and I’m holding hope that the only reason Ellie still has the phone is cause she’s hoping that.” Felicity say biting her lip nervously in thought. She looks across at Roy with narrowed eyes, “One day, after all this, we’re going to talk about you teaching my daugher how to pick pockets.”

 

“Hey! You don’t know that I taught her that!” Roy protests, but at  _ everyone’s _ expression he huffed. “Well lot of good it did me if she used it  _ against _ me.”

 

Felicity only huffs in response as she follows the boys to the front door,  Thea hot on her heels. Oliver though stops and the entrance and turns to look at both her and Thea nervously, his hands going into his pockets, “Should I even bother to try and convince the two of you to stay here with Lyla and Sara?”

 

Felicity scoffs patting Oliver on the chest as she side steps him, “How about  _ you _ stay here and figure that out on your own?”

 

“Oh, I really like her, Ollie.” Thea says with delight, patting her brother on the cheek as she too follows behind Felicity.

 

Oliver sighs as he turns around to see Diggle holding the door for two women, baby Sara no longer in his arm, and his brother only shrugs his shoulders, “You knew the answer to that.”

 

“I was hoping I was wrong.” Oliver mutters as the door closes behind them.

 

* * *

 

“Tell me where I can find Oliver Queen. He’s poking his nose in things that do not concern him.” A low voice growls in broken English, thick russian accent unmistakable, for the millionth time. 

 

“Oliver Queen has nothing to do with this. I was the one that contacted you.” Ellie insists, wincing when one of the men yank on the ropes tied around her wrists. She’s been going back and forth between English and Russian, knowing that when she speaks Russian it makes the men who have held her captive, nervous. 

 

“Oliver knows we want nothing to do with him, but when he calls for information about a particular omen in question. One wonders what exactly is he up to.” The short stout man speaks, he's clearly the leader in the group he looks the least bit intimidating but Ellie knows from experience that looks can be deceiving. 

 

“Oliver Queen betrayed his brothers, he is not worthy of the omen.”

 

“Well lucky for me I am not Oliver Queen then.” Ellie quips, and winces when a hand flies out and slaps her across the face, her head rattling at the impact. 

 

They have been going back and forth for the past 30 minutes at least, Ellie is as stubborn as they come, and she’s tried every tactic to get information from these men but her attempts have been futile. But she suspects her luck is running out, if the way her face aches and the small group of men that are making there way towards her, when there are a series of gun shots that ring out through the abandoned warehouse. 

 

“Anatoly!” Her father’s voice roars loudly, echoing around them. “Let her go!”

 

The man, whom, Ellie assumed was the lead, whips around a smirk gracing his face, “Oliver Queen, I knew you would show up eventually. This is not the usual blonde you associate with.”

 

“Let. Her. Go. Anatoly.” Olive growls, Ellie still have not caught sight of him, he’s purposely hiding in the shadows, but his voice is something Ellie hasn’t heard in  _ years, _ the pure rage that she only have been witness once before when one of his enemies decided kidnapping 7 year old Ellie would be a good way to lure him out. 

 

“She's a little young for you, no?” Anatoly antagonizes just a gunshot fires a few inches from their feet.

 

Ellie startles in surprise her father's warning is clear the next shot won't be intentionally missed.

 

“You idiot! You had no clue if that bullet would have hit her.” The older man grouses the familiarity he has with her father is not what she was expecting.

 

Ellie assumed they knew each other worked together but they clearly go much further back than that. 

 

“...cause I like you Oliver.” The man continues casually, “I'll give you back the girl. If you tell me why you want the omen?”

 

“So it does exist?” 

 

“Oliver you are as you Americans say….playing with fire…you can't begin to understand the power that possess. Why do you want it.”

 

As the two men discuss things the other goods that were holding Ellie slowly began spreading out around the room no doubt trying to find her father and the rest of his team. Ellie eyes as two men fall silently to the floor no doubt knocked out or something. 

 

It all goes unnoticed by Anatoly who is still engaging in a heated discussion in Russian with her father. Ellie is unable to keep up with the pace at which they are speaking but she's more focus on loosening her zip ties than their conversation. 

 

She feels a hand on her wrist and she's just about to whip around  and kick the person away when a familiar voice hisses.

 

“Ellie it's me! Felicity...Mom...uh whatever you wanna go with...no pressure or anything.” She says this all in a rush as Ellie feels the zip ties fall to the floor.

 

“Oh thank god.” Ellie says with a sigh of relief her shoulders slumping forward, she goes to pull her arms in front of her but she feels soft fingers gently against the raw skin of her wrists.

 

“Oh your father is going to kills someone tonight.” Felicity says matter of factly, and with those words Ellie knows that her secret's out. 

 

Felicity spins Ellie out her voice urgent, “are you okay?” 

 

Ellie tries to brush her off the scrutiny making Ellie feel uncomfortable, “I'm fine.”

 

“You are hardly fine, Ellie!” Felicity remarks her hands immediately going to Ellie’s face where Ellie knows her bruise is growing.

 

Ellie pulls away like her skin has been burnt she doesn't have time to contemplate her mother's hurt expression because she's already pulling her mother away from the crowd of men as shots begin to fire. 

 

“Not so fast.” One of the men yell out gruffly grabbing Ellie by the arm.

 

Ellie growls about to spin around when a voice surprises both Ellie and the lug that grabbed her.

 

“Hey cupcake!” Both she and the guy turn around just in time to see a small fist collide with the guys face as he grunts out in pain and Ellie uses his distraction to yank her arm out of his grasp.

 

Ellie turns to Felicity with wide surprised eyes, Felicity only winces cradling her hand to her chest, “they make that look much easier than it is. Does it always hurt this much?”

 

“You probably should not have held you thumb in your fist.” Ellie explains her voice filled with wonder. 

 

Her mother only grins sheepishly in return, before Ellie can really wrap her mind around the fact that her mother just punched a Russian mob. A group of six men suddenly surround both she and Felicity. Yanking their arms behind them as the men whisper furiously in Russian.

 

“ _ Just grab the girl and go! That was the order.” _

 

_ “We were only told to take one!” _

 

The men don't look familiar to Ellie and she suspects once her father and his team attacked the Bratva called in reinforcements.

 

“Grab the blonde and go!”

 

When one of the men whispers to her mother that she knows exactly what he's saying and that they are going to have some fun with her Ellie stomach drops. They want  _ her _ not Felicity. Ellie's eyes go wide, “No don't take her!” 

 

Felicity though shakes her head solemnly at Ellie and then turns to the man that has a hold on her, her voice firm, “Leave her and take me. I'm the one you want. I know you understand English.”

 

“No!” Ellie yells but before she can prattle off her protest in Russian an elbow jabs her in the face and her world turns blank.

 

* * *

 

 

When she wakes up her head is cradled in someone's lap and soft fingers run through her blond hair. “Mom?”

 

“Definitely not.” A familiar voice says with a laugh, fingers stilling in Ellie’s hair.

 

Ellie’s eyes flutter open, her entire face throbbing but she makes out the soft curves of her Aunt Yhea peering down at her worriedly.  When Ellie focuses on her face, the tell tale signs of age lines  _ missing _ , Ellie finally remembers where she is. She goes to sit up but thin fingers grip her shoulder preventing her from sitting 

 

“Woah there kid.”

 

“I'm probably older than you.” Ellie grunts, eyes squinting up at her aunt and she holds back when Thea blanches at the thought.

 

“Yea but I'm suppose to be twice your age.” Thea retorts recovering much more quickly than Ellie expects

 

“Where is M...Felicity?” Ellie asks, licking her lips when she realizes her missteps. 

 

This is what her uncle Barry warned her about, the lines are starting to blur for her and that can only smell trouble. She moves to sit up this time brushing away her aunt’s warning.

 

“They took her.” Thea whispers, she glances across the room and that's when Ellie finally comes to her surroundings and realizes they are no longer in the abandoned warehouse but back in the Arrow cave. 

 

She follows her aunt’s line of sight and catches sight of her father who is currently taking his frustrations out on an unsuspecting punching bag. It's an all too familiar sight to Ellie. It makes her chest ache in memory.

 

“So who doesn't know about me?” Ellie asks with a sigh knowing she's going to have to talk to her father,  _ apologize _ soon but she just isn't ready to see the look of disappointment on his face again.

 

“Well I'm always the last to know, I'm assuming everyone does.” Thea says lightly, her eyes dimming when she casts a glance at her brother.

 

She then turns her focus back on Ellie, peering at curiously, making Ellie squirm. “You know I was still trying to wrap my mind around time travel and something about you seemed familiar, obviously you’re a mini Felicity. Although seeing as you are the same height and built it's not exactly  _ mini.  _ Anyway, despite that, I see it now you have Ollie’s eyes and that same look he's had since he’s come back. Is the Queen family forever cursed?”

 

It's not the first time Ellie has heard her aunt utter these words, but for some reason this time Ellie refuses to believe it. She gets to her feet her voice full of conviction as she speaks, “not if I can help it.”

 

She doesn't wait for Thea to respond and marches over to her father. “It's my fault they have her. I made them think I have more information about their organization than I let on and they think that I would expose them. They took her thinking it was me and she wouldn't let me correct them. Call them and make the trade along with the information for the stone.”

 

Oliver only huffs in response, “if Felicity were here she would say that you could only get that asinine kind of thinking from me.” 

 

Ellie stops short at his words, Oliver finally turns to look at her his chest heaving as he peers down at her, his eyes softening when he really looks at her, “Ellie, Im not going exchange your life for hers, Felicity would never forgive me and I'd never forgive myself. We’ll find another way to get her back.” 

 

“Okay.” Ellie replies softly unable to shake off the way he's currently looking at her.

 

Suddenly she’ s lost for words and she can tell her father is in the same boat both of them shifting awkwardly on their feet.  Hands moving to scratch the back of their necks in unison, and Oliver is the first to notice, he then lets out a low chuckle in response as Ellie blushes unsure why she's feeling embarrassed.

 

“Ellie.” He says her name almost like he's testing it out. “Ellie Queen...or is it Smoak? Not sure if Felicity would be one to change her name or would want you to have hers or mine. Not that it matters...I mean it matters but...I...I like it..” 

 

“Usually, mom is the one that talks in sentence fragments.” Ellie says with a small laugh the tension draining from her when Oliver smiles sheepishly in response.

 

“I'm a bit out of my element here.”

 

Ellie nods in understanding and then speaks softly, “Eleanor.”

 

A smile blossoms on Oliver’s face at the name, “after my mother.”

 

“Eleanor Donna Queen.” Ellie says with a wrinkle of her nose. “I sound like an 80 year old.”

 

Oliver chuckles lighter at that and it hits Ellie other than a few exchanges with her mother Ellie really hasn't seen this version of her father smile since she got to this time. 

 

“If you don't like it we can always change it.”  Oliver offers. 

 

“No I'm attached to this one.” Ellie says lightly despite knowing that she probably won't remember having this name if they did change it. Assuming she still exists that is. “I like to think I'm doing Grandma Moira proud with her name.”

 

There is that smile again, but Ellie can see the hints of sadness her father always gets when he talks about her grandparents. “I think so too.”

 

They fall into a lull of silence, her father's eyes never leaving Ellie. His clear blue eyes follow every line and freckle that splatters across Ellie’s nose. She has no doubt he's trying to familiarize himself with her, the way his brow furs in concern at the bruise that Ellie knows is in full glory on her face, or the old scar along her collarbone that she got all those year ago when she broke it.

 

“Why would the Bratva want you? I thought they assumed you worked with me?” He asks all business like and Ellie suspects she  was starting to remind him of her mother way too much.

 

Ellie is unsure how long she's been out, but she knows that it's far too long for her mother to be held by the bratva. “I told them I stole your phone I knew you were connected with the bratva and I need information. They assumed I worked for some “higher” idiot or something apparently a tiny blond in a baseball cap can't possibly work on her own or know anything about the worlds of the stone. It’s sexist just so you know.”

 

Oliver though curses loudly, “they are going to think  _ Felicity  _ has this information.”

 

Ellie looks at him horrified, “we need to find her.”

 

She spins on her heels her father not far behind her, “Ellie we can't just go off half cocked. We need a some kind of plan. I already have Diggle asking Lyla to see if ARGUS can locate her.”

 

The irony of her father's words aren't lost to Ellie but she ignores his warning and goes to the series of computers at her mother's station. When she sees the screens are blinking rapidly she frowns.

 

“I tried to figure out her facial recognition software but I think she updated it since the last time I used it.”

 

Ellie only huffs a short laugh as she takes a seat in her mother’s chair glancing briefly at the beaten down punching bag that no doubt needs replacing as she connects the dots. 

 

“She's going to yell at me for that.” Oliver says in a soft sheepish tone which only make Ellie’s smile widen.

 

“So are you two done with the reunion segment of this movie? Can we start looking for my sister?” Thea teases as she walks up to the pair and Ellie now realizes her aunt was probably watching their interactions from the cot she'd been sitting on.

 

“Sister?” Oliver asks in confusions but then eyes widen comically when he connects the dots 

 

“That's how those things usually work, old man.” Ellie teases.

 

This time when he blanches Thea laughs loudly, “oh I like you already”

 

“Jeez Aunt Thea a niece could get a complex if you say you only  _ like _ me.” Ellie teases with an air of familiarity she hasn't had in far too long as her fingers fly across the keyboard, her eyes never leaving the screen.

 

“I'm too young to be an aunt.” Thea grumbles, she then turns to Ellie’s father with wide eyes? “Am I?”

 

“No!” Ellie all but shouts in alarm, turning briefly away from the computer screens to look at the two avoiding her father’s eyes, “do not talk about those things in front of me.”

 

Thea though seems to only take this as encouragement and grins wickedly in return, “You’re what...about 20...21? You should be familiar with how….”

 

“No!” This time its Ellie’s father who protests loudly, only earning loud laughter from Thea. “ _ I _ don’t need to hear about my daughter with some  _ boy _ please.”

 

“ _ That _ you wouldn’t have to worry about.” Ellie remarks with a laugh. Her eyes are still trained on the computer screens in front of her, but when neither of them say anything, she freezes as her words catch up to her. 

 

She winces slightly finally spinning around her chair to look at her father, this is not how she ever imagined she would tell him about her and Sara. Then again she never thought she would get the opportunity to tell her father to begin with. She looks at him, her heart clenching at the way his forehead wrinkle, the frown forming on his face. The very thing she was always afraid of coming to life.

 

“You’re talking about girls right?” He clarifies concern evident in his tone, “Not that you just don’t believe in love, right?”

 

Ellie falters at the almost desperate way he asks this, Thea looking equally surprised at his question and Oliver quickly clarifies, “I know….I know what happens to Felicity...I know that we lost her and I don’t want you growing up not believing in love. I need you to believe it’s worth it.”

 

Ellie heart clenches for an entirely different reason at his words. Her eyes filling with tears since she arrived in this time, this man may look like her father, but Ellie never really truly saw the father she knew, not until this moment.  She licks her lips and looks him dead in the eye, “I grew up knowing exactly what true love looks like. I couldn’t settle for anything less. I wouldn’t know how...and I found it.”

 

Her father seems lost for words at her confession, if it’s about her finding love, or referring to himself and her mother’s love as true love, Ellie does not know, but she doesn’t have time to question it. She’s unsure if she wants to, but suddenly the computer's beep loudly signalling that her searches have ended.

 

“Booyah!” Ellie cheer throwing her fist in the air in excitement as she spins around on the chair.

 

She hears her father’s soft chuckles, and she’s pretty sure he’s that stupid smile on his face, that he gets whenever Ellie reminds him of her mother. An arm tossed lazily across her shoulder pulls Ellie from her thoughts, “Once we get Felicity back, you’re going to have to tell me all about that girl of yours. I wanna know  _ everything _ . Is she alive now?”

 

Ellie’s breath catches in her throat at that question, but she’s saved from answering when her father points to the blurry image of Felicity on the screen, asking if Ellie can triangulate the coordinates for him.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Summer 2032 _

 

_ “Dad?” Ellie calls out tentatively, her voice soft as she walks into the bunker. The room is dimly lit, the only light source is a single computer screen in front of him. It casts a warm glow on her father’s hollow expression. _

 

_ His eyes are red and swollen, his hair longer than he’s ever worn it. He no longer has the scruff he usually sports,  but instead he has a full on beard.  Even though Ellie has been seeing him at various points throughout the past few weeks since her mother went missing. Ellie still hasn’t gotten accustom to this broken man that resembles her father. _

 

_ “Ellie!” He startles, the light pink camisole that  he was clinging in his hands, falling to the floor as he gets to his feet. “What are you doing here? How did you get here? Does Diggle and Lyla know you’re here? Ellie you know you aren’t suppose be out on your own! Especially times like these! What were you think?” _

 

_ “I was thinking that I wanna go home! I want to sleep in my own bed!” Ellie all but yells, the anger that’s been simmering for weeks finally boiling over, “I wanna stop borrowing my best friends clothes, having dinner with her parents. I want my family back. I want my dad back!” _

 

_ “Ellie.” her father’s voice is hoarse, either from lack of use, or from the tears she knows he still has trouble controlling. He gestures weakly at the computer screen. “I’m trying to find our family.” _

 

_ “Dad, it’s been four weeks.” Ellie’s voice trembles as she speaks, she shuffles her feet towards him. Her breathing slightly laboured. “ I don’t...I don’t...She’s not coming back.” _

 

_ “I can’t accept that.  I won’t… our family….” _

 

_ “We’re still a family. You and I.” Ellie says softly, by now tears are running down her eyes as she looks at the broken man that is her father, their matching blue eyes, red rimmed and full of sorrow.  _

 

_ “I can’t give up on her, Ellie.” He whispers, fingers pressed against his eyes as he releases a loud sob. _

 

_ “But you’ll give up on me?” Ellie asks meekly, wiping furiously at her eyes, her heart clenching. _

 

_ “Oh, Ellie. I’m doing this for you.” He reaches out to her pulling her into his lap cradling her against his chest, just like when she was a little girl. She released a loud sob in return as he rubs her back. “I refuse to let you lose your mother.” _

 

_ “I already lost her….I don’t want to lose you too, Daddy.” Ellie all put pleads in terror, fingers clenching around her father’s t-shirt as she wipes her tear stain cheek against the worn material. _

 

_ Oliver’s arms tighten around her  waist at her words. His voice coming out with more conviction as he speaks. “You are not going to lose me, Eleanor. I promise you that.” _

 

_ Ellie sniffs at his words, unsure if she believes him. She pulls back, her eyes swollen as she looks at her father, her lip trembles as she speaks, “I miss her.” _

 

_ Her father only pulls her tightly against him as he releases his own sob, “Me too. So much.” _

 

_ “Why can’t Uncle Barry just run back in time and stop it from happening?” She all but whines out through her sobs, despite the fact that she already knows the answer to that. _

 

_ “Oh pumpkin, you know that’s not how things work. Trust me I wish it were so simple.” He whispers softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. _

 

_ “It’ not fair.” She says equally petulant.  _

 

_ “This is not the kind of life we wanted for you.” Oliver whispers softly, his fingers now running through Ellie’s light brown hair. _

 

_ They both lull into a comfortable silence, the only sounds that can be heard is Ellie’s soft sniffles as she tries to calm herself, still comfortably tucked in her father’s arms, “Daddy?” _

 

_ “Yea, pumpkin?” Oliver calls out softly, his own voice sounding much more stable that it was earlier. _

 

_ “Can we go home, now?” _

 

_ Oliver releases a deep sigh, as Ellie slides off him looking down at him expectantly. Oliver casts a dejected look at the whirling computer screen and with another deep seated sigh he presses one of the buttons, the screen going blank, the soft humming of the computers that Ellie barely remembers hearing, comes to a halt, her mother’s entire station of computers, fall silent, all the tiny lights going out. _

 

_ The room is filled with darkness, save for the tiny emergency lights, Oliver gets to his feet, picking up the discarded cardigan, before he holds out his arm to Ellie.  When Ellie slips next to him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders to pull her to him.  _

 

_ He takes a deep laboured breath, his fingers clenching around her shoulder, which Ellie this more comfort for him that her. “Let’s go home, Ellie.” _


	11. Chapter 10

 

“I don't like this.” Oliver voice comes over the comms filled with concern surprising the two women who were quietly talking to each other.

 

“Ollie, we can more than take care ourselves.” Thea says with exasperation, turning her head to Ellie to roll her eyes. “I haven't seen this daughter of yours in action but given the fact that she has had the very  _ best _ teacher in the world. I am positive she can handle herself. I promise to look out for her.”

 

Ellie bites her lip, this reminds her of when she was 12 and she and her Aunt Thea tried to convince her father to let Thea teach Ellie how to spar. He had agreed to self defense but not sparring. 

 

“Neither of you have dealt with the Bratva and I don't like out there on your own. Maybe Roy should have gone with you.”

 

“You said it yourself, Ollie you think there would be more guards at the front entrance rather than on the roof.  _ You _ needed more backup than we do.”

 

“Maybe I was was wrong, not having Felicity as our eyes leaves us vulnerable.” Oliver says again and Ellie can tell he's on the verge of either joining them or worse telling both to head back to the arrow cave.

 

“I got that covered.” Ellie says pulling out the mini tablet from her coat, “you’ve got about four goons at the entrance then a large group on the back room. We are taking the fire escape on the right side of the building and there seems to be two guys on the east wing. Chill, Dad we got this.”

 

Ellie falters at her words, she didn't mean to let that out so easily. The silence that greets her on the comm tells her that Oliver was not expecting anymore than she was. Thea though grins widely in delight. “Yea  _ dad _ . Take a chill pill. We got this.”

 

Theas teasing words seems to have broken the moment when her father just growls her name into the coms, “just remember the plan. Get to Felicity and then get both of them out of there. Be careful.”

 

“Got it boss.” Thea remarks sharply saluting in response at which Ellie can't help but giggle.

 

God, she missed her Aunt Thea so much. 

 

Her father grumbles, but he does not response, the static in the comms are still evident so Ellie knows he is still on the line. Her aunt has no qualms about that and continues their conversation as if they were never interrupted. 

 

Since they left the bunker her aunt has been probing her for information and Ellie found herself telling her aunt Thea about more things than she should have. But now with the comms back on, Ellie is slightly hesitant about her father hearing their conversation. Especially about Sara, she hasn't told Thea Sara’s name but she may have gone off on a slight tangent about how great “her girl” was.

 

“So I'm guessing by the way you just let the grumpiness roll off your shoulders that hadn't changed about my dear brother?”

 

“Mom always said I got both of their stubbornness so he never stood a chance.” Ellie says easily which earns a snort on the comms and Ellie know it's Roy. 

“Are there more of you?” Thea asks in delight. “I'd love to see Ollie deal with three of you at once.”

 

“She's not a puppy, Thea.” Oliver grunts before Ellie can respond. “And don't answer that Ellie. Also stop telling Thea about the future.”

 

“Oh relax. I've only gotten the goods on this girl of hers. No name yet. I'll get there eventually.”

 

Ellie rolls her eyes, “I already told you more than I should have.”

 

“You should not be telling any of us anything.” Oliver grunts out disapprovingly.

 

“That was my plan. I intended to do this entire thing on my own without involving anyone.” Ellie grumbles back in response more annoyed at herself for caving so easily.

 

“Where have I heard  _ that _ before.” Diggle chimes in. 

 

When Thea and Roy both laugh in response her father's loud growl can be heard over them, “can we just focus on the task at hand? 

 

“Yes boss.” Thea and Roy response in unison, and Thea only grins in response. 

 

These past few days Ellie has been observing the two and she's never seen her aunt so carefree before. Sure Ellie’s certain that her Aunt Thea loves her Uncle Barry but she never really got the full story about her and uncle Roy, witnessing it now Ellie is beginning to wonder if the reason Roy left Starling City and only ever showed up with a different name and in a matter of life or death was not because of his run in with the law, but somethin Team Arrow related.

 

Ellie is not naive, she knows the moment she confined Uncle John’s suspicions she started alternating the time line. She knows that the longer time she spends here, her chances of returning home are dwindling. She’s already changed so much just by the pure fact her father is not currently on his way to Nanda Parbat to save Malcolm Merlyn. 

 

The only consolation she does have is the fact that she's still standing her corporal and  _ real  _ means she hasn't erased her existence and more importantly her mother is clearly still alive.  That specific Thea pointed out not only to Ellie but to her father as well who was getting particularly antsy as they decided how they were going to approach the densely populated area where her mother was held.

 

Ellie is just glad she had not arrived any earlier in the past, if she had god forbid erase Sara’s existence she  would have never forgiven herself.

 

She is not pulled out her depressing thoughts a soft hand gently nudges her shoulder. “Everything alright?”

 

“All good, Tia.” Ellie promises at Thea’s confused frown Ellie grins sheepishly, “when I was three I could not for the life of me pronounce my T-H so I called you Tia. It just stuck.”

 

This times Thea grins widely at the nickname, “oh that's adorable. Do I have one for you?”

 

When Ellie blushes it only encourages her aunt more who looks at Ellie eagerly, “it’s embarrassing.”

 

“Nothing is more embarrassing than Speedy, trust me.”

 

Ellie rolls her eyes, “No need to lie. Everyone knows you not so secretly like it.”

 

“Knew it!” Ellie barks out a laugh at her  _ father _ of all people chiming into their conversation. “Now, stop the chatter and focus on the mission.”

 

_ There's  _ her dad.

 

At her aunt's look of protest Ellie rolls her eyes, “you’ll unfortunately figure it out in a year or two.” 

 

“A year?” Comes her father's strangled voice.

 

“Oh! Wait no, no are we in 2014?” 

 

“2015.”

 

“Alright! enough! Ellie stop telling us about your future. And Thea stop  _ asking.  _ Now can we focus please?”

 

This time no one has a remark for her father. The comms go silent save for their soft breathing.

 

Thea tugs up the her black hoodie her hand resting on the blade at her waist, and she looks at Ellie for confirmation.

 

Ellie nods, her fingers wrapped around her glock. She's always been one for hand to hand combat rather than using a weapon. But her uncle  John taught her and Sara how to handle guns twice their size when she was 16 and Sara 18.

 

They silently ease down to the fire escape on the right side of the building. Eyes and ears on full alert as they make their way toward the third floor window.

 

Thea looks across at Ellie in silent confirmation when right before she eases open the window. They slip in silently enough. Ellie can hear the grunts and gunshots ringing through the comms.

 

They hear footsteps echoing along the corridor. She catches bits of Russian everyone ordering each other to get to the front and billiard room.  There are two good standing in front of the window now, neither of them can see Ellie and Thea who are crouched below the open window. 

 

Ellie can hear the two men arguing who is going to watch the girl. When finally they separate going in opposite directions. Ellie looks across at her aunt and signals to head to the left. “He was ordered to watch the girl. I'm assuming they mean Felicity.” 

 

“We can more than handle one goon.” Thea agrees and they both slip through the window with ease.  Quickly making their way towards the the direction the guy went.

 

Ellie pulls the tablet out of her pocket scanning the layout of the upper floor. When she picks up two figures outside a room and another lone figure inside she only hope this is where her mother is being held.

 

It's impossible for Ellie and Thea to surprise the guards with the layout of the building  but they are able to disarm them and knock them out. Ellie does not even bother to try and see if the door is unlock but instead delivers a resounding kick into the center of the door settling half of it off its hinges. 

 

“So do you and your father like kicking  doors down just for fun or something?”

 

Ellie huffs out a laugh as she moves over to her mother who looks slightly bruised but the fact that she's joking with Ellie means things aren't as bad as Ellie imagined. She can hear her father grumbles on the comms that he doesn't do that for fun.

 

“He sends to say he's glad you're okay.”  Ellie remarks sarcastically, her voice softens though when she undos the rope around her mother's wrists, “you are okay right?”

 

Felicity nods with a soft sigh, her hand engulfing Ellie's and squeezing it gently in reassurance, “this is not a usual occurrence for us right? You having to take care of me than the other way around?”

 

“I can't answer that, but no.” Ellie says totally contradicting her first statement.

 

“Ellie!” Her father's growl filters through the comms just as her mother slips on a spear earpiece. 

 

She looks across at Ellie in alarm, but Ellie only rolls her eyes in exasperation, “he's being a grump about me telling Aunt Thea too much things about the future. Which for the record I have  _ not _ .”

 

“This kid of yours is my new favourite person.” Thea declares to Felicity.

 

When Ellie full on blushes at her aunt’s words, Thea only laughs, “c’mon  Chatty Cathy let's get out of here.”

 

“Mom use to call Dad that all the time.” Ellie divulges wincing slightly when she realizes her father is not wrong with his accusations, Ellie is getting  _ way  _ to comfortable with this pseudo family of hers.

 

Felicity and Thea though laugh at her words, “chatty and Oliver are not two words I would associated him with,”

 

_ “ _ Yea even before the island. He wasn't very chatty.” Thea chimes in, Ellie can hear grunting over the coms but she's unsure if it's her dad's response to their conversation or whoever he's currently fighting. 

 

“I just know it was more when she was upset with him and it started when he and grandma Donna became emoji BFFs. Mom’s words not mine.” Ellie says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

 

She's also been doing a lot of that lately referring to her parents in third person trying to find someway to distinguish to the people she's with now versus the people she grew up with.

 

“ _ My mother.”  _ Felicity says in a horrified tone

 

“Does Ollie even know what an emoji  _ is? _ ” Her aunt’s voice is laced with amusement as she helps her mother out of the window onto the fire escape.

 

“ _ Ladies _ . Can we not do this  _ now?”  _ Her father's voice echoes tensely over the comms as gunshots can be heard. 

 

They all sober up immediately, her mother tenses me she can see the way her fingers rub against each other anxiously. Ellie immediately pulls out the small tablet from her jacket pocket handing it over knowing her mother needs to see for herself what's going on.

 

Felicity sighs in relief at the offered tablet her fingers zooming across the screen before Ellie can even relinquish her hold on the small object. 

 

Instead of the thermal imaging Ellie was originally using to detect bodies within the building, there is live footage of the chaos that's currently occurring a few storeys below them

 

“Digg two guys on at your 7 o'clock.” Felicity says skipping g one feed to the next as she continues to bark out information to the rest of the team. 

 

Ellie looks down at the alleyway below and the tiny platform they are standing on she looks at Thea and can see her aunt is thinking the same thing. If they get caught here they would be sitting ducks.  

 

“C’mon let's go back to the roof. I don't like us sitting out in the open like this.” Thea says as she grabs hold of the bars pulling herself onto the next set of flimsy ladder rungs  leading to the roof. 

 

Felicity pockets the tablet and quickly follows her lead with Ellie falling behind her. Felicity seems to catch herself and looks down at Ellie with a frown, probably more concerned about the fact that Ellie has her back instead of the other way around.

 

When they do get to the roof, Ellie is about to continue their previous conversation when she sees the door to the roof opens and a few men come running out.

 

“Oh for fucks sake.” Ellie grumbles, she grabs her mother’s elbow tugging her to behind a large crate. Her mother is none the wiser as she works furiously on the tablet.  

 

When Ellie sees that she's downloading something onto the tablet Ellie wonders if Felicity is gathering intel for the stone from the current database using her location to their advantage. If that's the case Ellie lets her aunt continue to fight off the goons on their tails firing her gun at rapid procession taking out a few guys on the way. 

 

“Ollie! We need to get out of here.” Thea yells as she disarms three guys with one swipe of her sword.

 

“Move to the south side of the roof. There is another building you should be able to jump there and Roy is waiting for the three of you below that fire escape.” 

 

Neither of them question him, Ellie just looks at her mother who is currently biting her lip forehead crinkled in deep thought and Ellie is sure she hasn't heard a word of what's going on. “Did you get what you needed?”

 

Felicity looks up startled but then nods, that's all Ellie needs to hear before she's grabbing her mother’s hand and they begin to run towards the direction her father told them too. Ellie firing shots behind her covering her aunt thea.

 

The next five minutes happen in a blur, the jump her father claimed they could make did  _ not _ look as close as he made it out to be it didn't help that both she and her mother’s fear o heights seem to have come out in full force. But with some encouragement from Thea they all make it back to the van with minimal bruising.

 

They are all slumped in the back of the van just as Roy spins around to collect Diggle and her father. As soon as Roy speeds off her mother chimes out breaking the tense silence. “I got a map where the stone is located and I may have planted a fake map on their servers and encrypted it. Could take them at least a day or so to break it.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Summer 2017 _

 

_ “Thea. Can you say Thea?” Thea coaxes 7 month old Ellie who is sitting in her car seat little mouth opening and closing as she eyes zero in on the banana flavour treats in Thea’s hands. _

 

_ “Theeee-aah.” Thea tries again. She looks moves her hand high above her head and laughs when Ellie’s little head tilts back following her hand. _

 

_ Thea holds the small snack in front of Ellie and she's laughs even louder when Ellie launches forward, little mouth full all of just two teeth wrap around the treat including thea’s fingers.  _

 

_ “You’re like a little baby bird.” Thea grins laughing when Ellie smacks her lips together savouring the snack that just melts in her mouth already begging for more. _

 

_ “Can you say Thea?” She tries again this time holding out the snack in offering. _

 

_ But Ellie is having none of that and she growls angrily in response her little hands making a grabbing motion towards her aunt’s hands. _

 

_ “I don't know if to be more offended at the fact that you are trying to teach my kid tricks like an animal or you are trying to get her to say your name first.” Felicity says with a huff as she walks out of the server room and up the small flight of stairs to her area of the bunker. _

 

_ “Is Aunt Thea trying to bribe you my little chunky monkey?” Felicity voices lowers as she tickles the little rolls at Ellie’s legs.  _

 

_ The 7 month old is dressed in a little flowered romper and a matching flowered headband giving her mother a two teeth smile, food forgotten now that she's seen her mother. Chubby little hands stretch out to Felicity demanding to be picked up. _

 

_ “C’mere my little butter ball.” Felicity says with a wide smile as she gathers up her eager daughter. She peppers kisses on ellie’s chubby cheeks, “tell you aunt Thea you don't need to be bribed to say your first word ‘cause we all know it's gonna be Mama. Right Elle-elle girl. Ma-Ma can you say that?” _

 

_ Thea snorts, “you and Ollie made a bet about this too, didn't you?” _

 

_ Felicity huffs at the question, “he keeps winning! She slept a full night at 5 months and I said that's impossible. But she clearly takes after me there and could sleep through anything. Besides I was the one that carried her for nine months and birthed her in this damn bunker. She should say my name first!” _

 

_ “Alright!” Thea says holding back a laugh at Felicity outburst raising her hands in defense. “It's always fun to see Ollie lose anyway. He's too damn smug when he wins.” _

 

_ “Who is this Baby bird?” Thea asks point at Felicity eyes wide and her movements over exaggerated. “Is this your mama? Can you say mama?” _

 

_ Ellie looks at Felicity then back to Thea little nose wrinkling almost as though she is contemplating her aunt’s words. She however surprised them both by stretching out both arms practically leaping out of her mother's arms or at least trying to as Felicity has a firm grip on Ellie all too use to her little monkey wanting to defy odds.  _

 

_ “Dada! Dada!” Ellie bounces excitedly in Felicity's arms little fingers opening and closing in eager anticipation. _

 

_ When both women’s head whip around Felicity’s jaw drops even more cause Oliver is in full Green Arrow gear hood and mask still in place. He however comes to a surprise halt when he hears his daughter's words. _

 

_ “Dada!” This time the inpatients is evident in her tone. _

 

_ “Are you kidding me?” Felicity laments looking across in mock annoyance.  She looks down at her daughter who has clearly forgotten her mother, “I carried you for nine months kid, but you recognize him even in that suit? It's cause he likes to wipe that little tush of yours more than I do isn't it?” _

 

_ Thea barks out a laugh at that but Oliver pulls down the hood a frown on his face, although it falters slightly when Ellie jumps into his arms. He places a kiss on her cheek Ellie giggling as her chubby fingers pats the scruff on his cheek. _

 

_ “This is not good Felicity. She can't know it's me under the hood. Everyone is going to suspect  something if she starts calling the green arrow dad.” _

 

_ “The city already thinks the mayor's wife is having an affair with the green arrow anyway.” Felicity says dismissively.  _

 

_ “Felicity.” Oliver growls impatiently. _

 

_ “Can we just focus that she finally said her first word, then worry about our 7 month old exposing your worst kept secret?” Felicity pauses at her words, she narrows her eyes at her husband, “why aren't you as excited as i am about this? She’s called you that before hasn't she?” _

 

_ This time Oliver looks sheepishly at her and presses a kiss too ellie’s wandering fingers that are still playing with the scruff of his beard. “She may have said it last week. I was  trying to get her to say Mama, surprise you when you came back from your trip to Gotham but it kinda backfired on me.” _

 

_ “Oliver. I know we made that silly little bet but you could have just told me. I'm more upset I just missed her first word,” Felicity confesses walking up to her little family and wrapping her arm around Oliver’s waist to look at Ellie with a smile. “You're a daddy’s girl through and through uh monkey?” _

 

_ “I have it on my phone.” Oliver confesses sheepishly. _

 

_ Felicity gasps and slaps Oliver on the chest, “you've had this for over a week and didn't show me?” _

 

_ Ellie though seems to think her mother is playing a game and squeals in delight slapping her father on the chest too. Her little nose wrinkles though when she her hand hits the hard kelavar of his jacket.  _

 

_ “Oh! No no. We don't hit, baby.” Felicity says sternly, she looks up at Oliver with wide horrified eyes then back down at Ellie. “No hit. Kiss.” _

 

_ She raises on her tiptoes to kisses Oliver on the corner of his mouth. Ellie looks at her mother thoughtfully all for a second before she stretches up and opens her mouth wide and plants a wet kiss on Oliver’s chin, her two little teeth sinking into his skin. _

 

_ “Ouch. Ellie we don't bite!”  Felicity reprimands despite the fact that Ellie didn't bite her. _

 

_ “Like mother like daughter.” Oliver quips his voice low and laced with amusement.  _

 

_ “Alright! Sister in the room and did not need to hear that!” Thea remarks loudly. She takes Ellie from her brother putting her hand on Ellie's little ears. Ellie swiping at her aunt’s hand thinking it's a game, “my niece doesn't need to hear your nasty.” _

 

_ “Can we just focus on the fact that she clearly knows who I am in the suit? That's not good.” Oliver grumbles, but he can't help but smile when Ellie offers him a two tooth smile. _

 

_ “Are you planning on making a diaper run with her strapped onto your back instead of your quiver?” Felicity quips in amusement, “if not that I’m pretty sure this butter ball will be asleep in her crib most nights you are in the suit anyway. Except for tonight I guess. Monkey it's way past your bedtime why are you awake?” _

 

_ “Stop calling her butter ball.” Oliver grumbles. Taking Ellie from Thea and blowing a raspberry on ellie’s little round arms.  _

 

_ His daughter is chunky for her age tons of rolls and absolutely adorable. In oliver’s honest opinion. _

 

_ “Ignore your silly mommy, munchkin.”  _

 

_ “Right because referring her to an orange little person is better?”  Thea remarks moving to take Ellie but the baby only shakes her head little fingers tugging on Oliver’s hood as she buries her head in Oliver's neck. _

 

_ “That's an Oompa Loompa.” Felicity  corrects. She brushes Ellie’s light brown curls, fingertips ghosting against her cheek. “Someone's tired. You be good for your aunt Thea okay? Mommy and Daddy are only going away for two days.” _

 

_ “Mommy and Daddy are going make you a baby brother.” Thea chimes in from behind the couple as she gathers Ellie’s baby. _

 

_ “Unless aunt Thea is making you a little cousin. There will be no other babies in the near future.” Felicity remarks dryly knowing her sister-in-law is only kidding. She looks at Thea, “you’re sure you are okay to watch her this weekend? We can always take her with us.” _

 

_ “No.” Oliver says firmly placing a now sleeping Ellie into her car seat, the baby barely blinking at the moment. “We agreed we needed this weekend together. She will be fine with Thea for two nights.” _

 

_ Felicity looks at her sleeping daughter and then back at the two amused Queens. “Fine but I programmed my number on speed dial on your phone. All you gotta do is say my name and it will automatically dial you in. No matter what.” _

 

_ “Felicity, we've been through this. You can't go hacking into other people's phones even if it's family.” Oliver says in exasperation throwing his amused sister an apologetic look. _

 

_ “Hacking is such an ugly word. I'm just using precautions.” Felicity protests. _

 

_ “It's fine. Ollie get changed out of  that suit and you two to have fun. Ellie and I will be having an amazing auntie and niece weekend she won't even know you two are gone.” Thea promises, she nudges him towards the locker room at the back of the bunker. “No go shower and try and least look somewhat presentable for your weekend away.” _


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the final chapter just about 98% complete, but I want to finish the epilogue before I post the final chapter. I am hoping to have the story completed before the new episode on Thursday. I'll post a proper note once the story is complete.

“Are we sure it's up in this mountain” Felicity asks with a huff, her hands resting on her knees as she peers up at the looming mountains in front of them. “Why couldn't this stupid rock be on the coast of some Caribbean island or Fiji I heard Fiji has amazing beaches.”

 

“Bali has better beaches. I'll take you there once all this is all over.” Oliver promises holding out his hand for Felicity to take as she steps over a large fallen tree trunk. He has his quiver with arrows strapped to his back and his bow at his front, Ellie thinks it very impractical, but she knows her father would be too stubborn to listen 

 

Her father’s words seem to have caught her mother surprise and Ellie watches in amusement as her mother trips over her own legs but as she expect her father swoops in and catches Felicity in his arm. When the pair spend far too long staring at each other Ellie turns away with a shudder.

 

“Yea it's a weird for me too.” Thea says but she is still looking at the two a grin gracing her features.

 

“It's different though.” Ellie divulges as she casts a glance at her parents only to see her father spinn his quiver his front and then crouches in front of her mother looking back at her over his shoulder, no doubt offering her a piggy back. She hesitates briefly before accepting his offer and climbing onto his back. She whispers something to Oliver, cheeks red and her glasses slightly askewed and Oliver only laughs loudly at whatever she says earning an ineffectual slap on the shoulder from Ellie’s mother. 

 

Their interactions have been hesitant unsure as of late and it's so strange for Ellie to see them like this so not in sync as she's used too. If anything it's glaringly  obvious they  _ aren't  _ her parents and a small part of Ellie is glad for the stark contrast  because it reminds Ellie that she is  _ not _ at home.

 

When Ellie refuses to divulge anymore explanation to her aunt though, Thea takes in with stride and nudges Ellie slight with her elbow. “Why don't you go and spend time with them? I don't how old you were when you lost Felicity, but if I had even a minute to spend with my mother I'd leap at it. Even if it was just to hug her,  _ smell _ her. It hasn't even been a year yet and I feel like I might forget what she looks like far less what she smelt like.”

 

Ellie's heart clenches at her aunt’s words ringing true. Ellie is pretty sure she had the exact same conversation with Thea to decades from now.

 

She's not wrong though. Ellie knows this task is not an easy one. She knows the likelihood of her heading back home….if there is even a home for her to go back to is dwindling with every minute she spends longer in the past.

 

The fact that Ellie is still standing here, solid and  _ really  _ is her only saving grace. But she can't help but think about what future she would go back to. Did she have a future to go back to?

 

She shakes her head freeing herself from those kind of thoughts and instead focus on her aunt's  words. She takes a deep breath trying to find that endless bound of courage her father always insisted she got from her mother. 

 

“Relax, you’ll probably only have to deal with Smoak inquisition.” Thea teases nudging Ellie gently towards her parents who are now a few feet away. She can barely make out their voices, but knows her mother is insisting her father put her back on the floor. 

 

“Besides, Ollie is not going to let you give away any more secrets.” Thea continues with a laugh just as Roy walks up to the pair Diggle trailing behind them his phone to his ear.

 

“Finally done avoiding them?” Roy asks in that blunt way that only Roy can, when Ellie narrows eyes at him Roy shrugs unapologetically, “Felicity is chatty even when trying to catch her breath.” 

 

Ellie rolls her eyes ignoring him as she walks towards her parents. He's not wrong, now that the first threat is over Ellie  _ has  _ been sticking with her Aunt Thea and pointedly avoiding her parents. She knows they have noticed, her father tries to show that it's not affecting him, but it's written all over his face, meanwhile her mother tries to engage with her but at the same time give her space  so she hovers or has her eye in Ellie more than Ellie cares for. 

 

Case in point when Ellie makes her way over to the pair Oliver notices immediately, and when Felicity sees she pulls out her water bottle from the clip that's hanging on Oliver’s bag. 

 

“Water?” Her mother stutters out her cheeks flaming in embarrassment when her clear blue eyes follows Ellie's to the full bottle of water in one of Ellie's hands.

 

“ I think you need it more than I do.” Ellie teases trying to break the tension and when her father chuckles lightly his hand resting on Felicity back rubbing it soothingly all the tension in her mother's body seeming to fade away.

 

“So I'm guessing this is something the both of you do together  _ without  _ me I mean.” Felicity says with a slight laugh gesturing to the mountains around the catching both Oliver and Ellie off guard, the former perks up immediately at the thought his curiosity getting the best of him. Ellie licks her lips unsure if she should share more, but at the matching crestfallen looks she quickly forgoes her own concerns. 

 

“Positano. When I was 12, you insisted you wanted to recreate a picture we took back when I was 3. You wanted me to remember it like you did the first time you guys went.” Ellie says softly. “It's the only time you've willingly joined us in our hikes.”

 

“We go to Positano?” Felicity thinks thoughtfully, he eyes glancing across at Oliver briefly. “I've always wanted to go.”

 

“When you're 12.” Her father repeats, and Ellie realizes her mistake the moment the realization dawns on her mother's face as well. “We go as a family? All three of us?”

 

Ellie looks back and forth between the two, her eyes wide. She knows she shouldn't have said anything, but it's not like she could take any of it back. She smiles easily though at the memory, the last family trip they ever took together, “Yea. We went to all your favourite places you guys had been your first time there. You two were complete dorks about the entire thing and embarrassed me thoroughly. FYI.”

 

Her mother smiles widely at her comment, Ellie watches as her hand slips between Oliver s squeezing it gently. “If you are anything like I was at 12 you probably wanted to disown us by the end of the trip.”

 

“Once you’re nothing like  _ me _ at 12. It’s fine.” Oliver remarks dryly, his grimace at the thought and Ellie can't help but laugh in response.

 

“Really? At  _ twelve?”  _ Her mother asks incredulously but her voice is full of laughter.

 

Her father only shrugs sheepishly in response his cheeks tinted red. He looks much more relaxed now as the three of them begin to make they way towards the caves that supposedly is hiding the stone.

 

After he hoists Her mother up and over a large boulder, surprising Felicity to say the least when she squeals in surprise, he looks across at Ellie holding out his hand to her tentatively.

 

Ellie could more than leap over the boulder with ease but at her father's hopeful expression she takes a step towards him and instead of taking her hand she raises her arms in the air. He falters slightly unsure what she's doing and Ellie almost takes a step back, mentally kicking herself for ring such a dork. But then her father seems to figure out exactly what she was doing and with one quick step he grabs her by the waist and hoists her up and over the boulder with ease.

 

“Up, up and away.” Ellie says softly to herself with a small giggle as she lands on her feet. 

 

When the double pair of matching blue eyes meet hers she grins sheepishly. “I always wanted to fly as a kid.” Ellie says sheepishly her cheeks pinking up in embarrassment.

 

Felicity smiles but then, her forehead wrinkles in thought, “you didn't actually  _ try _ to right?”

 

Ellie suddenly smirks teasingly, “Now, mom I can't give away all my secrets. Where’s the fun in that?”

 

Felicity freezes at the monika but Oliver only laughs in response and by the way he’s looking at her mother Ellie knows he’s laughting at Felicity and not at Ellie’s question.

 

“You guys know someone who can fly.” Ellie offers, “ so I never  _ tried  _ to learn, I just got to fly once with her.”

 

“A meta who can fly?”

 

“Okay, no more secrets, Ellie.” Oliver says firmly sending Felicity a warning glance. But Ellie’s mother only smirks in return, at Oliver’s exasperate huffs.

 

“Relax you big grump I’m not gonna ask her anything. We’ve probably tested fate way too much as it is.”

 

Her mother is not wrong but before Oliver can query Felicity further, Thea’s ring out bringing the small family out of their musings. 

 

“So in a cave full of rocks how are we supposed to know which one is  _ the  _ rock?”

 

“It’s not going to be in plain sight.” Oliver warns as the group slowly enters the entrance  of a small cave. “Just be careful and always assume nothing is as it seems.”

 

“I’m guessing this is something you’ve seen before, on the island?” Roy asks dryly.

 

“Do I have to add Indiana Jones to your monker now?” Felicity teases throwing Oliver a grin.  The only one to see amused by the information, “I have to say that’s incredibly hot. No Hans Solo hot but…”

 

“Can you  _ not _ say that when I’m standing right next to you?” Ellie whines cutting her mother off before she can go off on the tangent that Ellie just  _ knows _ she’s capable of.

 

“Oh.” Felicity squeaks in surprise.

 

The rest of the group breaks out into laughter, her father though takes a bit so subtle step towards her mother and whispers something Ellie is certain she does not want to hear and when her mother  _ blushes _ red. Ellie groans walking away from the two, “you guys are so gross.” 

It’s such an echo of what Ellie’s life use to 5 years ago, it gives her pause. She chances another glance at her parents but when she sees her mother bury her face in her father’s shoulders, her father chuckling softly to himself, his hand low on her mother’s waist, Ellie blanches.  She misses her parents greatly, but she does  _ not  _ need to see how freaking embarrassing they are.

 

“C’mon niece of mine. Stick with Aunt Thea.” Thea grins broadly hooking her arm around Ellie’s elbow. “I’ll protect you from the nausea inducing pair.” 

 

Ellie freezes at her aunt’s words, she says it so casually but what her Aunt Thea doesn’t know is that she’s said those words to Ellie  _ hundreds _ of times. “What?” 

 

Ellie shakes her head at the question, “Nothing, you just say that to me a lot over the years. Although, you occasionally switch it up and call them Jim and Pam. The Cleavers and a  _ lot _ of other names that I am not familiar with. It always goes over Dad’s head, but Mom is either amused or annoys depends on who you call them I guess? I think you just do it to annoy Dad, and he  _ knows _ that but he still lets it get to him.”

 

After her long winded explanation and Thea’s wide eyes of surprise Ellie grins sheepishly, “sorry, that babbling Smoak gene tends to come out when I’m nervous.”  

 

Thea smile warms at Ellie’s words, “I may not be to familiar with that particular Smoak gene  _ yet _ , but there is nothing t worry about. We are here, we’ll find this rock of yours and destroy it before Ollie’s friends get a hold of them.”

 

“The bratva are not my friends.” Ellie’s father grunts  next to them, she wasn’t even aware of how close the group had gotten now that they were making their way further into the cave.  

 

“Don’t they call themselves the brotherhood?” Felicity quips from the other side of the cave, her flashlight shining back on the group.  She looks up at the ceiling that is only a few feet above her head, Ellie’s is pretty she sure her Uncle John could probably touch it if  he stretched enough. “I think I might be claustrophobic.”  

 

“That’s what you said about heights and you jumped out of a plane.” Her father points out with a smile.

 

“Really?” Ellie is the first one to voice her surprise, “I never heard this story!” 

 

She turns to her mother her own flashlight illuminating the clear path to her mother, “why have I never heard this story before? You jumped out of a  _ plane? And you wouldn’t even  _ let me go bungee jumping when I was 14 how’s that fair?”

 

Her mother splutters at Ellie’s accusation, the others looking between the two in amusement, “I don’t know! 14 year olds shouldn’t be jumping out over bridges with a flimsy rubber band attached to their foot! I’m glad my future self said no.”

 

“Dad went with me.”  Ellie smirks, watching in amusement as her mother whirls around at Ellie’s poor confused and now flustered father.

 

“ _ Oliver _ . Bungee jumping? Seriously? You might as well just teach her how to shoot a bow and arrow at 6 and let her go jumping off of buildings!”

 

“I’m sorry?” Her father phrases it as a question, clearly confused as to why he’s getting yelled at for something he technically hasn’t done yet. 

 

“Sorry. Remind me of this conversation in about….” She trails off and looks at Ellie with a hopeful expression.

 

Ellie only laughs, “Nice, try but I’m not telling you that.”

 

“It was worth a shot.” Felicity says with a deep overdramatic sigh. Oliver only chuckles in response squeezing her shoulder as he walks further into the cave.

 

“Watch your step.” He calls out to the group as he makes disappears into the dark caves the light from his flashlight fading as he walks deeper into the cave.

 

After a few minutes of walking in relative silence, they walk into a large open area, the sun shining down from above, it’s almost like an empty volcano. At least that’s how Ellie thinks of it, not that she’s ever  _ been _ in a volcano before. Being burnt to a crisp aside it would be cool.

 

Ellie bites her lip at her wandering thoughts, but freezes when she sees her mother looking at her curiously, her head tilted to the side, slight wrinkle in her forehead. 

 

“Everything, okay?” 

 

“It’s nothing, just a lot going on in  _ here”  _ Ellie twirls her fingers in the general direction of her head then grins sheepishly in return at her mother,

 

“Oh  god, you  _ are _ a mini me.” Felicity bemoans.

 

“I for one, think that’s an  _ amazing _ thing.” Ellie’s father chimes in, his hand resting on Felicity’s back and when he looks at  Ellie fondly.

 

Ellie groans, her cheeks turning red, “Stop that.”

 

“Leave the kid alone, you two.” Her Uncle John chimes in, his voice laced with amusement.

 

“Not a kid.” Ellie grumbles, before straightening her back and looking at the group, “Can we focus please? Rocks to find and destroy? Crazy russian mafia might be on our tails too.”

 

“Oh no, I sent those guys on a wild goose chase to the far, far south of Argentina, by the time they figured out its wild goose chase, hopefully we will have the dagger that’s required to destroy the stone.”

 

“Speaking of, how are we even going to find the stone, if we don’t have the dagger?” Ellie chimes in looking around the cave with scrutiny, “Didn’t you say we need the dagger to find the stone?”

 

“We need the dagger to destroy it and activate it. But it shouldn’t be difficult to find once we have the stone, the two are connected supposedly.” Her father answers his hands running along the rough contours of the cave walls. 

 

To the others horror just as he reaches a particular high spot his hand completely disappears  _ into _ the wall. Both her mother and aunt yell his name in horror, Ellie’s eyes widen though and she quickly runs up to her father. She goes to touch it but he raises his other hand stopping her. 

 

“Let’s not both get stuck.”

 

“You’re  _ stuck?”  _ Felicity remarks horrified quickly making her way towards the pair. She grabs a hold of Oliver’s forearm tugging it gently and breathes a sigh of a relief when it moves. She slaps him on the shoulder, “don’t scare me like that.”

 

“I think I feel something.” Oliver says after a few seconds in which his entire forearm disappears  _ into  _ the wall, he pulls out  small stone the size of Ellie’s palm.

 

“This is amazing.” Felicity says in awe as she moves to slip her own hand into the wall, but Oliver grabs her hand tugging it out safely.

 

“Let’s not tempt fate  and  _ you _ get stuck there. Pretty sure we don’t have any kind of magic remedies on hand.”

 

“I told you magic existed Sae-sae!” Ellie mutters to herself  with a triumphant grin.

 

“Are you talking about Sara?” Her uncle John asks curiously, “my Sara?”

 

Ellie chances a glance at her mother who is biting her lip nervously, Ellie only smiles sheepishly at her uncle hoping that she keeps the unease she’s feeling out of her tone,“Yea, she’s such a skeptic. She can buy meta humans but she refuses to believe in magic. Stubborn dork.”

 

“You and Sara…” her uncle John trails off, Ellie can see the wheels turning in his head and Ellie begins to go over all the conversations she’s had with him since she arrived,  _ really _ hoping her mother is the only one that knows about Sara’s fate.

 

“Baby Sara is the girl!” Her aunt all but shouts in triumphant, “she’s  _ your _ girl. She’s the one you couldn’t shut up about. Omg that makes it so much better! Best friends falling in love! You two need a ship name.” 

 

Her uncle John goes from awestruck to confused at Thea’s last words. Her father look mirrors that of uncle John. He like her aunt Thea  _ knew _ that there was a girl just not who it was.

 

“Yes!” Felicity chimes in clapping excited. 

 

Ellie ignores their antics, more focused on her Uncle John who is still watching her with an untenable expression, “uncle John?”

 

“You said the last time you saw her she was the happiest she’s ever been.” It’s more of a statement than a question, but Ellie can see all the underlying questions he  _ does  _ have written across his face.

 

“Yes.” Ellie confirms, biting her lip. She refuses to cry in front of her uncle, but this the second time that she’s had to deliver this news to her uncle and there is just so much more she can take of it.

 

“ _ Sara.”  _

 

Its Ellie’s father that comes to the rescue her walks up to the pair resting his hand on Uncle’s John’s shoulder. “We are not going to let that happen John. Ellie cake back to the future to change things and we  _ will _ change it.”

 

“Was it Merlyn?” Uncle John speaks his voice hard.

 

“Not directly, but it’s because of him and the hell he created on earth.”, she knows her expression says it all, the tears  gathering. She feels a small hand in her own and see her mother offering her a smile in comfort and instead of helping it only causes Ellie to break out into sobs.  Ellie finds heralded engulfed in a warm hug, her mother offering her words of comfort.

 

“Ellie, I promise you I will destroy this omen at any cost.” Her father promises her his voice full of conviction.

 

“How do you know that’s  the rock that we are looking for? It looks like any old rock.” Roy asks skeptically.

 

“I know.” Her father said ominously, and even Ellie has to give him a skeptical look as she wipes her eyes.

 

To everyone’s surprise her father tugs up his shirt and to their surprise his torso is glowing or more specially his tattoo.

 

“What the fuck?” Roy splutters taking a nervous step back from Oliver.

 

“Oliver.” Felicity’s voice though is full of awe as she takes a step closer to him, finger tips hovering over the glowing tattoo.

 

“Nah man.” Her Uncle John is muttering in disbelief looking more annoyed at the turn events than anything else which makes Ellie smile. 

 

Like father like daughter.

 

“I don’t understand.”her mother finally  presses her fingers against the glowing tattoo and after tracing one of one of the images the tattoo stops glowing and goes back to looking like any normal tattoo.

 

“Did I do that?” She ask in surprise but never pulling back her hand. Ellie can see the way her father’s muscles contract under her touch and she wrinkles her nose. 

 

“Alright enough with the kinky stuff. Some of us are scared enough as it is.” Thea quips pulling Felicity away from Oliver, “put down your shirt Ollie and  _ explain.” _

 

_ “ _ I’ve been in a few situations,  _ mystical _ situations...on the island. I think the tattoo can sense magic, the person that gave me this tattoo didn’t exactly give me instructions.”

 

“I have so many questions.” Her mother says her eyes still fixated on Oliver’s torso. “All of which can wait….is this why you knew exactly which cave this stone was in?”

 

“I had a feeling.” Her father says evasively, at which her mother only rolls her eyes, but to Ellie’s surprise drops it.   

 

That’s another thing about her parents Ellie has picked up on, there have many situations thus far where her father might do or say something and instead of confronting him like Ellie expects, her mother just drops it. 

 

It’s disconcerting to Ellie to say the least, and once again she has to wonder just how much of the time line she’s already changed and more importantly what the  _ consequences  _ will be because of this. 

 

“Does this feeling of yours tell you how to destroy the thing?” Roy equips, but takes a step back and raise his hand in defense  at the look Oliver gives him.

 

“Let’s just get out of here before we get any visitors I wouldn’t put it past that asshole I share DNA with to show up here. I don’t doubt for a second he’s the one that abused the power in that thing ” Thea says with a growl, despite the fact that as far as they know only the Bratva knows about the stone, Ellie knows her aunt is not wrong after all the stories she’s heard about the horrible man that Malcolm Merlyn is. 

 

“Now Thea, is that anyway to talk about your father?”

 

Ellie blood goes cold as the voice and before she can react she’s being yanked back by her mother, father practically leaping in front of Ellie and her aunt. 

 

“ _ Malcolm.”  _

 

* * *

 

 

_ Winter 2022 _

 

**“** _ Did you go ice skating?” Six year old Sara asks in eager anticipation, she’s hanging upside down from the couch, Lyla’s iPad on the floor and she talks to Ellie. _

 

_ “We did!” Ellie says eagerly her wet hair rolled up in a towel as she grins back at Sara, her green robe completely engulfing her small frame. She knows her voice dramatically, or more like whispers loudly to Sara, “Mommy fell twice. I told her I’d hold her hand for the rest of the times so she not fall.” _

 

_ There is a small huff of laughter that comes from behind Sara indicating the little girl isn’t alone in the room alone anymore.  Sara uprights herself and smiles brightly at her mother, “Mommy look Ellie called to say good night!” _

 

_ “She did, did she?” Lylas voice is full of doubt as the small screen shakes slightly until both Lyla and Sara are on the couch looking at the screen in upright positions. _

 

_ “I dids!” Ellie nods eagerly, “I wanted to tell Sara about my snowman daddy and I built it was bigger dan Uncle John!” _

 

_ “Elanor! What have we said about telling lies?” Felicity’s voice rings out from the adjoining bathroom to her and Oliver’s bedroom. _

 

_ Ellie’s eyes widen in surprise, “I thoughts she was still showering.” _

 

_ Lyla has to bite back a laugh at the little girl’s antics, not wanting to encourage them, Ellie looks downcast tugging at the edge of her robe tie, “I sorry. I didn’t want Sara to gets in trouble Aunt Lyla. Honest.” _

 

_ Lyla sighs knowing it’s been almost 2 weeks since the two girls have seen each other and it’s the longest they have  ever been apart. “I know you guys miss each other, but you’re gonna see each other tomorrow for Ellie’s party.” _

 

_ “Aunty Lyla, can I sleeps over tomorrow after my party?l Ellie asks eagerly at which Sara jumps up and down on the chair in eager excitement jumping over the back of the chair and then back again before her mother finally puts a stop to it. _

 

_ “Mommy! Can I sleepover by Sara tomorrows after my birthday party?” _

 

_ Felicity comes out of the bathroom with Sara’s princess brush and her portable blow dryer. A frown on her face as she makes her way to the centre of her and Oliver’s bed where Ellie is seated facing the tablet. _

 

_ “Don’t you want to spend your birthday with mommy and daddy? We always have movie night on your birthday.” _

 

_ “We coulda do it tonight?” Ellie offers, her forehead crinkling slightly, “that way I have movie nights with you AND I can have a slumber party with Sara!” _

 

_ “Slumber party!” Sara screams in excitement over and over until Lyla tells her it’s too late to be shouting.  _

 

_ “You and daddy can starts making me a baby brother.” Ellie says innocently at which Felicity coughs uncomfortably and this time Lyla doesn’t hold back her laughter.  Felicity only glares at her friend in return. _

 

_ “Ellie why don’t you tell Sara goodnight and then go and ask daddy if dinner is ready?” Felicity offers at Ellie’s look of protest, “I promise to talk to Daddy about you having a slumber party with Sara tomorrow.” _

 

_ “Alrights, bye Sara.” Ellie says with an exaggerated huff, but one look from her mother though and she cuts the dramatics, “night Aunty Lyla.” _

 

_ “Don’t forget to come back, I still have to dry your hair!” Felicity calls out with only leads to a loud huff and resounding stomps down the wooden staircase. _

 

_ “Such a drama queen.” Felicity says with a laugh the moment Lyla sends Sara off to bed as well.  But she sobers immediately  looking at Lyla with hopeful eyes, “any new leads?” _

 

_ Lyla he’s her head in the negative, “no I wish I had better news, we are no close to finding out what that surge in power was two nights ago. The last time we recorded anything this powerful was when the particle accelerator exploded and that was man made, this was definitely not.” _

 

_ “I hate magic.” Felicity grumbles, “that stupid Zantana and her cryptic message. I still think she was just saying that to get under our skin.” _

 

_ “The prophecy she told us about had Ellie’s full name.” Lyla pointed out. “You know I don’t believe in those things but I won’t directly dismiss it either.” _

 

_ “I know.” Felicity said with a sigh, “it was so damn cryptic though. She could have at least told us when. For all we know something is coming for my baby girl tomorrow.” _

 

_ “You know anyone of us would die before something happens to her...to either of our girls.” Lyla says with conviction. _

 

_ “Yes.” Felicity concedes, “but that’s also what worries me too. What happens to them  if we all die trying to protect them?” _

 

_ “We have all been through far too much to let something  like a magician’s cryptic message stop us from living our lives.” Lyla squares her shoulders, but to Felicity’s surprise she changes the subject, “we have everything organized for tomorrow. I called the agency and they said the clown is booked from 2 to 3 perfect time before cake and presents.” _

 

_ Felicity wrinkles her nose, “I can’t believe she asked for a clown for her birthday party. Where did I go wrong? _

 

_ Lyla laughs wholeheartedly at Felicity, “You faced down Adrian Chase at 6 months pregnant and you’re afraid of  clowns?” _

 

_ “It’s the makeup and the creepy laughs and the damn nose.” Felicity shudders, “it’s the whole damn thing. Thanks for sorting that out for me.” _

 

_ “No problem.” Lyla says with a laugh, “Thea said she got all the face paint, she took Sara with her. Sara is certain Ellie will love all the stencils they got.” _

 

_ “She’s just gonna wanna be a clown.” Felicity bemoans, “I blame Roy for this. She spent one weekend with him he took her to some small town carnival and that was it. She just latches onto things and never wants to let them go.” _

 

_ “I wonder who that sounds like.” Lyla teases. _

 

_ Felicity huffs, but before she can blatantly lie, she hears the pattering sound of tiny footsteps on the hardwood floor, “I should go before the little miss sees you and demands to talk to Sara again.” _

 

_ Lyla laughs in agreement, “what are we going to do with those two?” _

 

_ The two day goodbyes and log off just as Ellie comes running into the room her light brown hair  in a mass of wet curls her green robe is now open and she’s running around the room making her robe look more like a cape. _

 

_ “I’m Supergirl, Mama!” Ellie says excitedly arms wide. She scrambled onto the bed putting her hands on her hips head tilted dramatically to the left, “is Kara gonna come to my party too? Do you think she would take me high high up in the Sky  next to a plane?” _

 

_ “Honey, remember no one knows that Kara is Supergirl.” Felicity immediately corrects. A few months ago the girl of steel came to help out with another crisis and the fact that she could fly immediately grabbed her attention. “I don’t know if she will be, but you know who is coming?” _

 

_ “Clowns all the clowns!” Ellie screams excitedly jumping up and down on the bed. _

 

_ Felicity can’t help but laugh, the very thought of multiple clowns running all over her backyard absolutely terrifies her but she can live with just one if it makes her daughter this happy. _

 

_ “Come here, let me tame those wild curls of yours.” Felicity says with a laugh groaning when Ellie just plops onto Felicity lap with a thud. “Did daddy give you chocolate?” _

 

_ “Nope.” Ellie says her lips popping, “he finished macaroni and cheese and lobsters! He let me tastes it. It’s awesome! He wents to get more wood for the fire. It’s snowing again. I wanted to go with him, he said no” _

 

_ “That’s cause you missy need to put on some clothes. No more capes.” Felicity says just before she turns on the blow dryer, Ellie continues to talk animatedly her little hands moving  in sync she knows fully well that her mother can’t hear her over the blow dryer but that doesn’t stop Ellie. _

 

_ Suddenly the entire bedroom is engulfed in darkness and Ellie screams loudly, Felicity turns off the blow dryer just in time to catch Ellie who latches onto her. _

 

_ “Mommy!” Ellie whimpers.  _

 

_ “Hey it’s okay, mommy’s got you.” Felicity promises. “I’m sure it’s just the power went out.”  _

 

_ After her conversation with Lyla earlier Felicity is on more alert than she would be. She feels around for her phone and immediately uses her flash as a torchlight. She smiled at Ellie who seems to have calmed down on seeing her mother. _

 

_ “See? We’re both okay. Let’s put on your pjs and go look for Daddy. He’s probably worried about us.” _

 

_ It’s the quickest she’s even been able to get her usual stubborn daughter to  get into her pyjamas. _

 

_ “Oliver!” _

 

_ “Daddy!!”  _

 

_ They both call out as they make their way down the stairs to to the living room which is dimly lit by the two fireplaces on either side of the rooms. There is a large _ boom at the entrance and both Felicity and Ellie scream loudly, Felicity scooping up Ellie into her arms.

 

_ “It’s Bigfoot!” Ellie says horrified. _

 

_ Standing at the foyer of the cabin is a tall figure, covered head to toe in snow, the poor lighting in the dimly lit living room makes it impossible for her to make out who the figure is. She’s just about to spin on her heel and take Ellie back to her and Oliver’s bedroom, when the figure groans loudly. _

 

_ “Felicity!” _

 

_ “Daddy!” Ellie says with a loud laugh, pulling away from Felicity to go running to Oliver who is currently fighting to close the front door against the howling wind outside. _

 

_ “Hold it right there, Eleanor.” Felicity calls out quickly following her daugher to scoop her up before Ellie can tackle a now soaked through Oliver, “Daddy is just going to get you all wet too.” _

 

_ She grabs a nearby towel tossing it to her husband as he continues to rid himself of his outer layers. “It’s getting worse out there, I was trying to get more wood from storage, but I couldn’t even see our car. I don’t think power outage is  too serious, or at least  nothing has been damaged. Hopefully it comes back once the storm passes. You two okay?” _

 

_ Felicity walks up to Oliver, brushing her fingers lightly against his beard, brushing away the last bit of snow that has latched on. She cups his face and smiles warmly at him, Ellie, still in Felicity’s arms leans forward and presses Oliver’s nose giggling loudly, “Daddy your nosey is cold. Time to warms up.” _

 

_ Felicity chuckles lightly as Ellie parrots exactly what Oliver tells Ellie when she’s been outside for far too long. She pats Oliver’s cheek with a smirk, “You heard the little lady. Can you bring more blankets and pillows when you’re coming back? And her socks.” _

 

_ “Mommy, my feet aren’t cold.” Ellie grumbles. _

 

_ “No but we have no more power and it’s gonna get very cold soon.” Felicity explains as she tosses her phone to  Oliver so that he can use it to navigate upstairs. _

 

_ “Is that why Daddy is bringing all the blankets?” Ellie asks curiously, still in Felicity’s arms as they make their way to the adjoining kitchen. _

 

_ “We’re going to have our own sleepover.” Felicity tells her, grinning when Ellie’s blue eyes widen in surprise. Felicity plops Ellie onto the counter and begins to assemble their dinner  including the hot chocolates Oliver already laid out, the marshmallows waiting to be dropped in the steaming cups of chocolate. _

 

_ “Alright, you wanna help Mommy and take the bag of...Eleanor!” Felicity exclaims just as Ellie shoves to large marshmallows in her mouth. _

 

_ “I helps!” Ellie insists, although it only sounds like a gumble of words as her cheeks are bulging with the two large marshmallows. _

 

_ “You’re gonna ruin your dinner. “Felicity says with a sigh when she grabs her daughter by the waist and puts her on the floor, offering Ellie the now open bag of marshmallows. “No more, after dinner, okay?” _

 

_ Ellie garbled out something again, but wrinkles her nose when her mother looks at her blankly, she instead gives her mother  a thumbs up and then runs off to the living room. Felicity only shakes her head grabbing the tray of food and making her way towards her daughter. Ellie is sitting on the couch staring at the window to her right, the wind is howling and the snow pelting at the glass. _

 

_ “Kinda scary uh?” Felicity asks tugging Ellie into her lap. _

 

_ Ellie nods, jumping when a particularly large bit of snow or ice, shatters against the glass. “ I don’t like it.” _

 

_ “ I know baby, but I promise you that you’re safe.” _

 

_ “I know,” Ellie says matter of factly, “You and daddy always keep me safe.” _

 

_ “Always.” Felicity promises pressing a kiss to Ellie’s forehead. _


	13. Chapter 12

Winter 2037 

 

_ “Green Arrow to Overwatch, can you hear me?” _

 

_ “Don’t call me Overwatch.” Ellie grumbles, as she presses her back against the wall, waiting for another one of those creatures to follow her, they might not be the brightest crayons in the bunch, but they are still almost impossible to kill. “I am  _ _ not _ _ my mother, and we are not my parents.” _

 

_ “I never said that.” Sara remarks dryly, Ellie can hear the sound of arrows sailing into the air, and the all too familiar cry as one by one those creatures that have been plaguing Ellie’s existence for more years than she can count, begin to fall. The new and improved arrows - she worked on with her mother’s plans and uncle Barry’s help- along with the poison laced bullets she has in her gun are the only two things that kill these creatures. _

 

_ “Whats with the ‘tude?” Sara remarks, not upset, but bluntly in the only way Sara Diggle knows how, “You said you wanted to test out new names and since I was taking up your Dad’s mantel….which FYI I still think you should…” _

 

_ “I suck at using a bow. I told you already, Dad loved you like another daughter. He would be honoured that you wanted to wear his hood.” Ellie promises. She fires off her gun killing four more of the creatures, breathing a sigh of relief when she no longer hears footsteps. _

 

_ “Either way, I thought I’d try it out since you didn’t like Starlight, which I still think is awesome and now we veto on the Overwatch.” Sara’s voice is muffled slightly by the wind whipping around her and Ellie knows she’s probably on some rooftop overlooking the city. “Our kid isn’t going to get name till she’s ready for preschool, isn’t she?” _

 

_ Ellie’s breath catches in her throat at Sara’s words, “Our kid? You’ve thought about that?” _

 

_ “No. No why would I?” Sara stutters out in embarrassment, “I’m barely 22 and you’re still a teenager and it’s crazy. Just forget I said anything. We should head home.” _

 

_ “Wow calm yourself.” Ellie says with a laugh, ignoring the way her chest tightens at Sara’s ramble worthy of Felicity Smoak herself. Sara never gets nervous or rambles so Ellie knows that her girlfriend more than just thought about these things and the idea both terrifies her and excites her. “First off, I’ll be 20 in like a week….” _

 

_ “Elle…” _

 

_ “Secondly.” Ellie’s calls out loudly over Sara’s protest, “its not crazy. Obviously we were too young right now...but one day...when we’re ready… I promise not to veto all your suggestions.” _

 

_ “That’s a lie, you are too stubborn for your own good Queen.” Sara teases. _

 

_ “And you love me all more it, Sae-Sae” Ellie volleys back smile widening. _

 

_ “Till the sun goes dark.”  _

 

_ “And you call me the cheesy one.” Ellie laughs, “now where are you? I really want to kiss you right now preferably in our apartment. Can’t have the Green Arrow kissing some mystery blonde.” _

 

_ “Oh how history is repeating itself.” Sara says with a laugh and Ellie’s heart jolts at her words, Sara isn’t wrong, but Ellie tries not thinking about the fact that she’s walking in her parents footsteps unsure if this is something they would have ever wanted for her. “To answer your question, I can’t help you I currently have my eye on a hot blonde, think she’ll let me take her home?” _

 

_ Ellie scoffs as she looks up into in the sky just in time to see a grappling arrow shoot out from the darkness and land a few feet from her head. Sure enough Sara literally come swooping down in all her green leather glory, the green hood and mask not hiding the smirk that’s gracing sara’a features. _

 

_ “That line doesn’t really work, if I already asked you back to our place.” Ellie points out just as Sara lands in front of her looming over Ellie’s small frame. _

 

_ “I was trying to be suave, ready to literally sweep you off your feet. You could have least played along.”  Sara pouts but Ellie can see the twinkle in her eyes even behind the green mask. _

 

_ “Now, where is the fun in that?” Ellie teases taking a step forward grabbing the ends of Sara’s hood and pulling her down for a kiss. _

 

_ Sara hums into the kiss, but instead of pushing Ellie up against the wall like Ellie had hoped, Sara pulls back after a few seconds, both women panting. “You’re a minx, Queen.” _

 

_ “Says the girl who wanted me to go back to her place and wouldn’t even cook me dinner first.” Ellie teases rising on her toes to kiss Sara again. _

 

_ “Last I checked you were the one that cooks me dinner.”  Sara points out, but when Ellie moves to put her hand on Sara’s waist Sara takes Ellie’s hand narrowing her eyes at her, “you are going to get me into trouble.” _

 

_ “Oh you have no idea.” Ellie can’t help but remark she knows it’s that adrenaline high she gets whenever she’s on the field with Sara Anita a successful night. _

 

_ Sara only gives a full belly laugh and surprises Ellie when she grabs her by the waist and pulls the blonde on for a deep kiss. “C’mon let’s go home.” _

 

_ “Ooh are we skipping dinner and going straight for dessert?”  Ellie doesn’t get a response instead a small beep is heard and Sara releases another grappling arrow and they both go soaring up in air. _

 

_ Ellie tightens her grip around Sara’s waist despite the fact that she knows that Sara would never let her fall. They land with a thud on a nearby roof and Ellie looks around and the city landscape from the top, the blasts of fire alarms and police alarms are almost as continuous as birds chirping in the morning. The city that her father loved so much is a mess to put it lightly. _

 

_ “Think this place will be the home that our parents always envisioned it could be?” Ellie asks softly her heart heavy. _

 

_ Sara wraps her arms around Ellie pulling her back flush against her chest, “ I think all we can do is protect the city as best as we can and our parents would be proud of all that we do in their name. Your mom and Dad would be proud of the person you’ve become whether or not you put on a mask.” _

 

_ Ellie sighed turning around to wrap her arms around Sara’s waist the firm hard contours of the Kevlar of Sara’s suit making it less comfortable than she’s use to. They’ve had this conversation a million times over the past few months. “I know, but we agreed to do this together and I want to do this with you. What kind of partner would I be if I know have your back every time you go out there at risk your life?” _

 

_ Sara though sighs and releases her hold on Ellie, when Ellie steps back she can see the frown forming on Sara’s lips, “Babe, I don’t want you to risk  _ _ your _ _ life just to protect me. Do you think I’d be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you knowing that the only reason I you were out there was for me?” _

 

_ “That’s not fair!” Ellie protests angrily. She’s about to continue but to her surprise Sara holds out her hand to Ellie. _

 

_ “Let’s just go home, Elle.” Sara pleads. _

 

_ Ellie sighs but reluctantly takes Sara’s hand. “This conversation isn’t over.” _

 

_ “I know.” Sara remakes dryly her arms tightening around Ellie’s waist as she shoots out another arrow and they go flying towards the alleyway behind their building. “I just prefer if we finish this conversation in our apartment.” _

 

_ They probably need a proper base of operations. One day someone is going to see Sara sneaking up the fire escape to their building. Ellie watches as Sara grabs her backpack from behind the poorly concealed brick in the wall. She pulls out her clothes tossing it to Ellie with practiced ease and then gently stores her quiver full of arrows in the now empty bag. Her bow which is deconstructible is already inside the quiver.  _

 

_ She then begins to rid herself of the hood and leather pants. Ellie is momentarily distracted by Sara’s bare ass before she catches herself and shakes her head offering Sara her jeans before Sara even turns around. _

 

_ “We really need to get a proper base of operations. Your ass is going to get a head cold.” _

 

_ “That makes no sense.” Sara laughs wholeheartedly, “it takes me five seconds to change out of the leathers it’s no big deal.” _

 

_ “It’s hardly practical.” Ellie argues. “Someone is going to catch you one day. I’ll start checking blueprints of buildings nearby.” _

 

_ “Alright, we’ll go through whatever options you can find.”   _

 

_ Ellie narrows her eyes at Sara, “you do know agreeing with me so easily isn’t going to stop us from finishing that conversation on the roof right?” _

 

_ To her surprise though Sara only laughs in return as they make their way through the back entrance of their apartment complex, “Baby, I’ve known you your whole life and have been love with you for half of it. Bribery doesn’t work on you.” _

 

_ “Buttering me up won’t work either.” Ellie grumbles. _

 

_ “I know that too,” Sara says cheekily,  _

 

_ They both enter the elevator and when the door closes Ellie takes a bold step toward Sara, her hands on either side of Sara face, “you know that I go out there because I want to right? Not just to have your back?” _

 

 _When Sara goes to protests again Ellie places a finger on Sara’s lips, “ I love you Sara, I’m going to want to protect you just like you want to protect me. I’d never forgive_ _myself_ _if something were to happen to you, knowing I should have been out there to have your back. We have each other’s back, that’s just how it goes.”_

 

_ Sara sighs but then nips at Ellie’s finger that’s still on her lips. She presses her forehead against Ellie’s, “just don’t go doing something stupid on your own.”  _

 

_ “Right back at you.” Ellie whispers just before she presses her lips against Sara’s. _

 

_ They makeout heatedly like two teenagers now discovering each other when the ding of the elevator arriving on their floor has them sprinting apart in embarrassment.  _

 

_ Ellie giggles lightly and wipes Sara’s lips which are now tainted pink from her own lipstick “I should probably tone down the lip colour when I go out on  the field.” _

 

_ “You’re the only person I know who puts on lipstick before she goes to fight bad guys.”  _

 

_ Ellie wants to point out they are the only  two  _ _ left _ _ to go out and fight but instead of voicing those morbid thoughts she confesses the real reason for the lipstick choice. “My Mom always a good colour of lipstick can make you feel ten times more fierce.” _

 

_ Sara giggles, “remember when we stole all her lipstick and drew pictures on all the monitors of her computers in the bunker?” _

 

_ “Oh god we thought she was going to yell but she just cried, I think that made it worse.” Ellie recalls as she steps into the foyer of their apartment and rids herself  of her jacket and grabbing Sara’s green arrow bag putting everything into the coat closet. _

 

_ “My Dad yelled.” Sara points her eyes wide in the memory, “he never yells.” _

 

_ “Then everyone was crying.” Ellie  chuckles lightly as the  both collapse onto the couch, “honestly I don’t know why my dad went out on the field they could have uncle John yell at the criminals and everyone would be wetting themselves.” _

 

_ “Hardly, but it’s a funny image.”   _

 

_ Both women share a look before the break out into giggles, but then they both grow quiet, the mood sombering. Sara finds Ellie’s hand and squeezes it, “I miss them.” _

 

_ “Me too.” Ellie echoes in agreement, licking her lips in thought, “where...where do you think your dad is right now?” _

 

_ “Probably off somewhere lost and angry blaming himself for your parents death.” _

 

_ “I’m sorry.” Ellie whispers pulling Sara into her arms and pressing a kiss against Sara’s forehead. She remembers all those years ago watching her dad do he same for her mother and the way her mother would visibly relax at the gesture. _

 

_ “Oh Elle, it’s not your fault my dad couldn’t handle losing your parents. I think losing your Aunt Thea after he promised your dad he’d look after her was the last straw for him. That he put that kind of guilt on his shoulders, I blame my mother for his current state though.” _

 

_ Ellie sighs knowing she’s treading on thin ice when it comes to bringing up Lyla Diggle, “Sara.” _

 

_ “No. I know what you’re going to say and I don’t want to talk about it.” Sara says stubbornly about to pull away from Ellie’s embrace but Ellie refuses to let her go, “I’m not speaking to her until she brings by Dad back. Your dad literally went to the end of the world looking for your mom and mine won’t  even turn on the fucking GPS to see if he’s alive.” _

 

_ Ellie knows for a fact that’s not true, that her aunt Lyla had indeed find her Uncle John the only problem was her uncle John was hurting too much and didn’t want to come back home. He didn’t want to face Sara and Sara knew none of that.  _

 

_ Instead her aunt Lyla let Sara believe that all the blame has been on Lyla and Ellie has been keeping that secret to herself for weeks now and it’s been eating away at her. _

 

_ To Ellie’s surprise though Sara rises on her knees and places a soft kiss on Ellies’s lips, “thank you.” _

 

_ “For what?” Ellie asks slightly confused but leaning forward to capture Sara’s lips again earning a giggle from Sara in return. _

 

_ “I know you still talk to my mom. Update her about what’s going on with me, making sure she’s okay. So thank you for checking in with her. I can’t face her right now but at least you still talk to her for the both of us. So thank you, for just being you. For loving me, you know just all of it.” _

 

_ Ellie chest tightens at Sara’s words, between the two of them Ellie is definitely the more eloquent when it comes to expressing her feelings so when Sara confessed it so freely, her feelings  so raw and honest it makes Ellie fall in love with her just a bit more. _

 

_ Ellie cups Sara’s face her eyes softening, “Till the sun goes dark, right?” _

 

_ Sara hums pressing a kiss into the palm of Ellie’s hand, “Always. You’re stuck with me forever Queen.” _

 

_ Ellie throws her leg over Sara’s settling into the girl’s lap, she knows that Sara playful comment is her way of diffusing the serious moment, but Ellie ignores Sara obvious ploy to bring them back into a more playful banter and instead smiled warmly at her, “You’re the only constant thing in my life Sara Diggle. I wouldn’t even know how to begin to survive without you.” _

 

_ “Well lucky for you. You’ll never have to learn.” Sara promises with so much conviction, a small part of Ellie believes her, for the first time in five years Ellie feels as though things are finally getting setting themselves right again. _

 

_ Except, three days later the sun goes dark and Ellie is forced to say goodbye to the love of her life _

 

0ooooo0

 

“Now Thea, is that anyway to talk about your father?”

 

Ellie blood goes cold as the voice and before she can react she’s being yanked back by her mother, father practically leaping in front of Ellie and her aunt. 

 

“ _ Malcolm.”  _

 

_ “ _ I thought you of all people, daughter. Would embrace the opportunity to bring back your brother, your mother…”

 

“Don’t talk to me about Tommy or my mother.” Thea spits angrily, side stepping Oliver to face her father. “No one should have that kind of power, least of all  _ you,”  _

 

_ “ _ You were right, she would be a wonderful addition to the league.” A new voice drones on, Ellie looks over her father’s shoulders to see an older man dressed in similar robes to Malcolm, by the way her face tenses and he swipes an arrow from his quiver pointing it at the old man, Ellie knows things just got a whole lot worse.

 

“Over my dead body.” Oliver growls angrily 

 

“Oliver Queen, you truly are a man of many lives.” The man continues taking a step towards Oliver,

 

Three other men suddenly appear making there way towards Ellie and her mother but three green arrows fly across the air hitting all three men in rapid procession before anyone can blink.

 

“Your issues is with me, leave them out of it.” Her father’s voice practically booms inside the small confines of the cave. 

 

“These women, you are willing to sacrifice your life to protect them?” Ras asks raising his hands, Ellie assumes he’s about to attack, she won’t be surprised if he uses magic, after all the stories she’s heard- but his action only stops more of the black hooded men that seem to have them surrounded. 

 

“If you so much as  _ look _ at them.”

 

“You hand over the omen and no harm will come to you or our family, Mr. Queen. Consider that my gift for your survival in our last duel.” 

 

“Are we living in the 18th century?” Ellie asks sarcastically, ignoring the warning look her father sends her and the soft hiss of her name on her mother’s lips.

 

“You, child, you are not from this time.” The man says addressing her, his eyes narrowing at Ellie almost as though he’s simply dismissing her

 

“And you aren’t in  _ mine _ either.” Ellie quips as she side steps her father to stand A few feet in front of him, her blue eyes never leaving the older man’s. “Sucks for you.”

 

“Elanor!” He father roars.She has not heard  _ that _ particular tone in ages. 

 

“You’ve got fire in you child.” The old man makes his way towards Ellie moving far more agility for someone his age , but her father moves just as quickly to stand in front of her his entire body rigid and she can see his fingers twitching at his side. The other gasping his now firmly no doubt ready to strike. “that stupidity will cost you.”

 

“Do not threaten my daughter.” Oliver hisses vehemently, he grabs hold of one his arrow drawing it and point it straight at the other man, who does even flinch at Ellie’s father’s threat.

 

“She is of no use to me.” The man announces with finality, “kill her.”

 

With those words chaos breaks out in the small confinement of the cave. Ellie finds herself in hand to hand combat with two black hooded goons. They are good but her Aunt Thea taught Ellie everything she knows and before long Ellie has both men passed out on the floor.  

 

She looks to right just in time to see her mother take a large rock and knock a hooded guy over the head, one who was just about to surprise her Aunt Thea. Her mother as always resourceful like that. 

 

Ellie doesn’t have time to before more goons seem to just materialize in front of them, at least it feels like that, the adrenaline is pumping way too high for Ellie to think about it. 

 

Before a small group has her mother surrounded, she reacts quickly, taking some of the darts her father insisted everyone have and knocks each good out with rapid procession.

 

“Good aim.” A strain voice calls out, full of pride. 

 

Ellie looks behind her just in time to see her father knock a good out with his bow. She smirks at her father, “I got that from Aunt Thea.”

 

She so much as sticks her tongue out at him, at which he barks out it laughter. He doesn’t see one of the guys closing in behind him, so Ellie grabs hold of her father’s arm and spins around to land a solid kick to the goons chest sending him flying into the rock solid wall behind them. 

 

Her father’s eyes are wide in surprise and this time Ellie grins widely, “Got that from you though.” 

 

For the first time in Ellie’s life she finds herself in combat with her father, and not the advance self defense moves he taught both her and her mother, but honest, gritty, fight for your life combat. 

 

They are able to work in sync and take down a few more men in quick succession and it’s exhilarating to say the least. Ellie has always seen her father fight, always amazed at the power and grace he has when fighting. 

 

The difference though was all the other times before she is usually running for her life, her mother in tow as her father and the rest of the team take care of things. Ellie has never truly fought  _ alongside _ her father and she loves it. The adrenaline rush she’s always got since she started hitting the streets a few years ago alongside Sara comes back in full force.

 

“Felicity!” Her father yells  in horror, and Ellie whips around to see one of the guys knock her mother to the floor.

 

Ellie doesn’t even think about it she pulls out her gun from its holster and fires two shots in rapid procession killing the three men with ease. She knows she’s not suppose to use her gun in the small confined space but she reacted without thinking.

 

She runs over to her mother, sighing in relief when she sees her she is already to begin to stir. 

 

“Do you know how dangerous it is to fire a gun inside a  _ cave?”  _ Her mother croaks taking Ellie’s offered hand 

 

“I’m a good shot.” Ellie says with a shrug not at all sorry.

 

Felicity rolls her eyes at the comment her voice dry as she speaks“of course you are.” 

 

“I need you two to get out of here.” A voices hisses in urgency.

 

Ellie turns around just in time to see her father slip behind the large boulder she and her mother were hiding behind. He takes the stone slipping it into the pocket of her mother’s jacket. 

 

“Stay out of sight as much as you can” he says with urgency, “there is no way out other than the way we came, but I think we can distract them until you  two slip out. Be careful.”

 

Ellie can see her mother about to protest, but instead she slips her hand into the pocket of her jacket and frowns, “was this always warm?”

 

“The dagger.” Her father supplies, “I think Malcolm has it. I need you two to go now. I need you both safe.”

 

Ellie wants to protest, but when he puts it like that she knows she’s better off protecting her mother, after all her mother’s safety is detrimental to Ellie’s existence. Speaking of which though she turns to her father expectantly, “just remember that in order for me to be standing here you need to be safe too.”

 

Her mother grins broadly at Ellie’s words, “Sneaky, and  _ brilliant.” _

 

Her father only huffs out laughter, but he surprises Ellie when he pulls her into a tight hug, his large arms wrap around her, he smells a bit like blood and sweat but Ellie is suddenly encompassed by that woodsy forest smell she always associated her father with. It’s so  _ familiar _ and not de the first time Ellie finds her eyes filling with tears again. Her father tightens his hold on her just a little bit more and then presses a firm kiss to her forehead. “Take care of yourself.” 

 

“You too.” Ellie whispers just as she releases her hold on him.  

 

The moment that she takes a step back, her mother runs into her father’s arms, surprising him to say the least. His shock is short lived though, and he immediately relaxes and wraps his arms around Felicity, pulling her tightly to his chest. Ellie should look away, give them the moment they so desperately need. But she can’t help but look at the way her mother buries her face into her father’s jacket, or the way her father presses his nose into the crown of her mother’s hair, breathing her in.

 

He then pulls back and cups her mother’s face, the gesture so intimate, so  _ familiar _ to Ellie. “It’s gonna be okay.”

 

_ “ _ Just don’t die, okay?” her mother whispers softly, she then rises on her tiptoes, her fingers curling into the lapels of his shirts and she pulls him down for a kiss.

 

This time Ellie looks away from the pair, she’s seen them kiss millions of times growing up, more than she ever cares to acknowledge, but there is just something about these two people who make look like her parents, but in the end of the day, just  _ aren’t  _  and Ellie feels as though she is invading a personal moment. For all she knows she could be witnessing their first kiss  _ ever _ and while yes that may be romantic, Ellie feels as though she should  _ not _ be apart of it.

 

“What if the dagger left them straight to us, or to the  _ stone _ ?” Ellie asks suddenly unable to ignore the very  _ real _ danger they are currently facing. Her voice  pulls her parents away from their silent staring match.

 

“I’ve got that handled.” her father says easily. He squeezes her mother’s hand one more time, before he releases it and then gently pushes her towards Ellie. “Hurry and remember.”

 

“Try not to be seen, we know.” Ellie teases, its words he’s said to her many times over the years, more times than what she knows her father cared for, and at the look of surprise on his face, Ellie can't help but giggle.

 

“You never pegged me as one to hide from a fight, Oliver.” Ra’s voice booms across the cave walls, taunting her father, calling him out.

 

There are more arrows zooming across the room, swords clashing together, the cave is under madness at the moment, and Ellie has to fight the urge to jump in and help, especially when she sees her aunt Thea and Uncle Roy get surrounded by no less than 5 guys.

 

“Ellie, we have to go.” her mother says urgently tugging Ellie behind yet another large column. 

 

There are so many nooks and crannies in this cave, Ellie is almost afraid they get lost, and are moving further away from the exist, as they keep close to the outskirts of the cave.

 

“You two didn’t think sneaking away was going to be  _ that _ easy did you?”  Malcolm Merlyn suddenly appears in front of them. He stands casually against a wall, his sword hanging loosely at his waist.

 

He doesn’t look at all threatened by Ellie or her mother, and that only angers Ellie more. To her surprise he turns his gaze to Ellie, “You and I are going to have a little talk.”

 

“Over my dead body.”

 

“The only talk we’ll be having is with my fist.”  Ellie snarls just as her mother jumps in front of her, blocking her from Malcolm’s view.

 

“That can be arranged.” Malcolm scowls at Felicity, 

 

“You’re not very bright are you?” Ellie taunts, moving around her mother to look the man who killed the love of her life in the eye, and Ellie feels far more braver than she thinks she should be. “ You kill her and I disappear, can’t exactly have a conversation with a ghost now can you?”

 

“Ah see you get your stupidity from your mother. That mouth is only going to get you into trouble, and far sooner than you think”

 

“Now that’s just inaccurate, my mother is a  _ genius _ .” Ellie snaps back, her fingers tightening around the hand of her gun, that’s holstered behind her back. She knows she’s only going to get one shot of this, and if she misses she could very well harm herself, or worse one of her family members.

 

“Get out of the way Malcolm.” Her mother orders angrily, standing tall. 

 

She’s heard over the years about how brave her mother is but she’s never truly witnessed it until this very moment. All three of them are fully aware that Felicity is no match against Malcolm she has no form of defense but Ellie admires her mother all the more for her bravery.

 

“You are like a fly buzzing annoying in my ear, Ms. Smoak.” He suddenly pulls his sword out and has Ellie’s mother up against the wall, the sword right at her neck.

 

“Let her go!” Ellie screams moving towards them pulling her gun on him just as quickly.

 

“Uh-huh. Here’s how this is going to go. You are going to tell me what I want to know and your mother lives.”

 

“Are you that self involved that you aren't even listening to what she’s been saying?” Her mother snarls “you kill me and she disappears. She can’t give you want you want.”

 

“The if you continue to underestimate me.” Malcolm snarls the tip of his sword digging into Felicity skin once Ellie sees the blood seeping down her mother’s neck she only sees red and she fires her gun at Malcolm before he could even react.

 

Malcolm screams out in pain his leg buckling under him where Ellie shot him in the thigh. He clutched the sword hobbling on his leg  glaring at her. “You’re going to regret that.”

 

Ellie doesn’t wait for him to get his footing she grabs her mother’s hand and they take off down the narrow passageway.

 

“It’s pointless to run!” Malcolm yells after them, 

 

Ellie looks behind her just in time to see Malcolm point his gun at them and Ellie knows that there is no way she can run backwards and make the shot.

 

“Mom! Run!” Ellie screams at her mother as Malcolm starts fitting at them the bullets are ricocheting all over the place and Ellie just hopes that the idiot only end sup hitting himself.

 

She looks back just in time to see Malcom point the gun directly at her and she just reacts diving onto her mother knocking both of them to the ground. A blinding pain surges through Ellie’s entire body.

 

“Ellie!” Her mother screams.

 

Ellie’s entire body throbs with pain as her mother shifts her in her lap, she can feel fingers pressing firmly against her torso. Her worn hoodie is soaked with blood, her blood.

 

“Ellie, what did you do?” Her mother sobs out, hands pressed against Ellie’s torso.

 

“I couldn’t let him kill you.” Ellie explains gasping  out in pain, she tries to raise her head to see where Malcolm was but her mother holds her down.

 

“Don’t move. Why would you….it’s suppose to be my job to protect you not the other way around.” Her mother presses into her torso trying to stop the bleeding, but Ellie knows it’s futile. “Why would you do that?”

 

“I didn’t come back 22 years in the future for Dad to lose you all over again.” Ellie coughs weakly, she can already feel the darkness pulling her.

 

“Hey, hey! Stay with me.” Her mother shakes her roughly her voice heavy with emotion, “you’re gonna be okay, I’ll call Barry get him to come and take you to the nearest hospital. You’re going to be fine.”

 

“Not before you and I have a little chat.” Malcolm snarls but the fire he usually has, is somewhat dwindled as he clutches his thigh in pain. 

 

“Go away Malcolm.” Felicity growls angrily, her tear filled eyes never leaving Ellie’s.

 

“No! I want to know if I succeeded. When the league heard rumours of a time traveller and that you wanted the stone. I knew there could only be one reason why you would be back. I’ve been searching for years for this dagger, years trying to reunite it with the stone” to their horror Malcolm puss out the dagger which begins to glow a bright green colour. “Now answer me, did I succeed? Did I bring back my son?”

 

“All this is about Tommy?” Felicity asks incredulously, “you are the reason Tommy died that night! You are the one that manipulated Thea into killing Sara. You are the reason Thea won’t ever speak to you again. You only have yourself to blame for losing both your children.”

 

Malcolm snarls at her words and Ellie knows that she’s hit a nerve, “and I’ll be the reason you lose your only daughter.”

 

To both their horror Malcolm raises an unsteady hand grasping his gun, but before he can pull the trigger a loud thwick echos in the small cave and  three  arrows go soaring right into Malcolm’s chest in quick procession. The older man crumbles to the ground dead his eyes wide in shock.

 

“Oliver!”

 

“Malcolm will no longer hurt this family.” Oliver declares he grabs the dagger from Malcolm’s hand and then he tosses his bow aside dropping to his knees next to Ellie. “Hey, you’re going to be okay.”

 

Ellie coughs painfully at his words, “we both know that’s not true.”

 

When her mother sees the look of knowing exchange  she begins to protest loudly, “no. No. NO! I refuse to just accept that. Call Barry get him to take her to the hospital.”

 

“We both know I can’t go to the hospital.” Ellie counters softly. 

 

“Bullshit. We’ll lie say you’re my sister, Hell I’ll give you that identity. They can patch you up in no time.” Her mother pleads. She slaps away her father’s hand when he tries to pull her hands away from ellie’s wound. She glares at him. “Why are you so calm about this! We have to do something!”

 

“Felicity.”

 

“Mom, there is nothing you can do.” Ellie please trying to get her mother to understand,  _ this _ is Ellie’s faith.

 

“No! There must be something we can do.” She sniffles her hands covered with Ellie’s blood. “You didn’t come all this way  to just  _ die.  _ I refuse to believe that.”

 

She turns to Ellie’s father her eyes blazing, “why won’t you do something? What happened to the man that would go to the ends of the earth to protect his family? This is your  _ daughter.” _

 

Oliver looks as though Felicity had just slapped him. Ellie takes her mother’s hand pulling her focus back on Ellie. “Mom. Mom look at me. I came back here to change the future, your future and I did that. Malcolm Merlyn, he’s the one that killed you. He’s gone now.  _ You’re _ going to live that is what matters. Everyone that died at his hands, Dad, Sara Aunt Thea.  _ Everyone _ lives. This is how it’s suppose to be. I would not have place in this new future.”

 

“Of course you do. You’re my daughter.” 

 

“And she will get to grow up in the world she deserved. The world Ellie helped create.” Her father chimes in, his own eyes glistening when he looks down at Ellie, “You are everything I ever hoped for in a daughter and so much more. You are braver and stronger than I could ever imagine, Eleanor.”

 

The last thing Ellie heard before her eyes close is the sound of her mother sobbing out her name.

 

0oooo0

 

“Ellie! No! Ellie wake up.” Felicity pleads shaking Ellie’s lifeless body, her fingers still clasps tightly in her daughter’s hands.  She wipes her eyes angrily her glasses have since fallen to floor. “We should have done something.”

 

“Felicity, there was nothing we could have done.” Oliver tries to reason, “Ellie told us that when you change the future it leads to catastrophic ramifications. She was willing to sacrifice that to save  _ you _ save us all.”

 

“I refuse to believe that.” Felicity says angrily, she uses her free hand to dig out the glowing stone from her jacket pocket. “Use it. You both said it’s called the resurrection stone. Use it to bring her back.”

 

“Felicity, I can’t do that.” Oliver says, “the reason Ellie’s future was so terrible was because this stone got in the hands of the wrong person. We can’t use it to bring her back. Ellie is not from this time. She doesn’t belong here. She risked everything to come back here to change things, we use that stone and her death would have been for nothing. I need to destroy this stone, make sure it never gets in the wrong hands. Ensure that future Ellie wanted will happen.”

 

“She’s our daughter!” Felicity remarks angrily, she’s just about ready to grab the dagger from other and figure out how to bring back her daughter when Ellie’s entire body suddenly disappears before her very eyes.

 

“ELLIE!” Felicity all but screams. Her eyes wide as she looks at Oliver in horror, “what just happened? She just….she disappeared...she just ceased to exist? She’s just  _ gone? _ ”

 

She looks down at her blood stained hands trying to figure out a complicated puzzle, she  then open her hands and frowns when she sees a small piece of paper covered in blood. When she opens the paper it’s a date

 

_ January 17, 2017 _

 

Felicity then chokes back a sob, clutching the paper tightly in her hand,  but to everyone's surprise she is smiling and now they are  looking at her like she’s lost her mind. Oliver whispers her name softly, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She  smiled through her tears showing him the piece of paper, but Oliver only looks at her with more concern.

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“The date! She gave me the date!” Felicity insists.

 

“I don’t...is that...?”

 

“Her birthday!” Felicity exclaims excitedly clutching the piece of paper tighter in her hands. “She gave us her birthday! Ellie’s not lost.”

 

“Am I the only one confused?” Thea chimed in her own eyes red. Neither Felicity nor Oliver even aware that the rest of the team was around them. “How do you know it’s her birthday?”

 

“Oh it’s her birthday.” Roy answers, “mini Blondie was afraid her coming to the past getting you to idiots together before you were suppose to would affect some stuff in summer of 2016.  My math sucks, but I’m pretty sure that adds up.”

 

“2016 is next year. Oh god.”  Felicity pales as does Oliver. But Diggle ever the voice of reason steps in, “let’s deal with the main problem at the moment? Oliver do you know how to get rid of that thing?”

 

Oliver looks down at the stone in Felicity’s hand frowning in deep thought. He takes it from her and the moment he has hold of both the stone and the dagger they begin to vibrate and glow violently. 

 

He places the stone on the ground gesturing for the group to take a step back. He ignores Felicity’s concern comments and raises the dagger high in the air slamming into the stone and to everyone’s amazement the dagger pierces the stone with ease both objects emitting a bright white light. Once it dims all that is left is dust in its place.

 

“Wow. That’s some Harry Potter level shit there.” Roy whistles breaking the tension. 

 

“Nah man.” Diggle mutters in disbelief. 

 

“You okay?” Felicity calls out to Oliver taking a step towards him her hand resting on his shoulder. 

 

Oliver looks at her slightly dazed unsure if he really did witness that, but one seeing her red stained cheeks, her clothes covered in blood he takes her hand pulling her to his side. “are you?”

 

She looks down at the paper in her hands then back at him shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know? I just...she was here one second, and now she’s gone. We have no physical evidence that she was even here…she’s just  _ gone _ .”

 

“Well not  _ completely _ gone.” Oliver points out, taking her hand that’s still grasping the blood stained piece of paper.

 

“I don’t know how to feel.”  Felicity confessed as Oliver pockets he remains of the dagger the group already leaving giving Oliver and Felicity a moment to themselves. 

 

“I feel like were robbed of getting to know her. What’s her favourite food? Her favourite show? Did she have any fears? I know she’s stubborn like you. Opinionated like I am. Fierce and so so brave. But we were robbed of getting to really know Ellie the person.”

 

“Had she….if she survived” Oliver licked his lips with uncertainty, “we wouldn't have gotten to learn all those things, she would have had to go back to her time. She didn’t belong in this time. This wasn’t  _ our _ time to get to know her. We’ll have the rest of her life to learn everything about her.”

 

“But would she be the Ellie we know, even though briefly?” Felicity counters at Oliver’s confused look she continues, “This Ellie she lost me, she lost her mother and  _ everyone _ that mattered to her it scarred her in more ways than one. The Ellie we will raise in a few years...god less than  _ two _ years...the Ellie we raise won’t have suffered those losses.”

 

“And that’s a bad thing?” Oliver asks utterly confused.

 

“Oh no, I just meant we are what our past shape us to be. I hate all that you’ve been through on that island and since then. But like you told me last year, it shaped the man that I  love, without those loses Ellie wouldn’t be the person we met these past few days .”  Felicity continues totally unaware that she just told Oliver she loved him.

 

“It’s selfish but I am glad that Ellie won’t be experiencing those losses. I do think the very essence of who she is as a person will still be there though.”

 

“Oh I know and I agree. I just think about the Ellie we did meet did she have anyone back in her time waiting for her to return? Would she have had a time to return to?” Felicity frowns, “I take back everything I ever said about time travel. I hate it. My head hurts.”

 

Oliver chuckles lightly placing a kiss on Felicity forehead. “It’s okay to mourn the loss of this Ellie. We only knew her for a few days but she was our daughter.”

 

“I know that she cheated and didn’t want to chance fate by giving us this information about her birthday and I’m so grateful for that but what if the consequences of her changing the timeline so drastically means  _ that _ Ellie will no longer exist. We could have 10 daughters in the future named them all Ellie but would they really be her?”

 

“Well then don’t think of it as replacing her.” Oliver considers thoughtfully, “we mourn and celebrate the life of the Ellie we knew. Keep her memory with us as brief as it was. When the time comes, January 17, 2017 to be exact and we meet that baby girl Smoak-Queen then we decide if we want to name her Ellie.”

 

“Oh no she  _ will _ be Ellie.” Felicity says with conviction at Oliver’s confused look Felicity laughs, “we may have named Ellie after your mother but I the idea of also honouring the Ellie we did meet. It will be her I can feel it in my bones.”

 

“Anything you want,” Oliver says with a laugh pressing a kiss against Felicity forehead as they finally begin to make their way out of the cave.

 

“Oliver, this relationship will never work if you just agree with everything I say.” Felicity admonishes.

 

Oliver pauses bringing them to a halt Felicity frowning confusion at his sudden movement, “so that’s what we’re doing...I mean...us…this is a relationship?”

 

Felicity’s smiles soften and she takes a step towards him wrapping around his neck, “ Oliver, we just agreed on on naming our first child. I think it’s safe to say, you and me? We’re in this for the long run.”

 

Oliver dips his head kissing her softly and when he pulls back he’s smiling widely, “First child?”

 

To his surprise Felicity sobers at his words, “oh yes. Ellie may not have directly mentioned it but it’s obvious she was an only child and I don’t want that for her. I want her have someone like how you and Thea always have each other’s backs.”

 

Oliver’s eyes widen with each word she says and while Felicity believes everything she just said she as Oliver haven’t even  _ slept _ together yet so it’s a LOT to taken at once so she quickly adds, “but that’s future Oliver and Felicity’s problem. They can deal with that when Ellie is like five or something.”

 

Oliver laughs wholeheartedly at  her words, he presses a brief kiss to her lips before pulls back, “Alright, but maybe when she’s three at least.”

 

This time it’s Felicity’s turn to look at him with wide eyes, he laughs and presses another chaste kiss against her lips, “future Felicity and Oliver’s problem. Now we need to get you back to the hotel and get you out of those clothes.”

 

“Oliver Queen, just because I agreed to have your future children doesn’t mean you can’t just take me to bed you gotta at least buy me dinner first.” Felicity teases, giggling at Oliver’s red cheeks.

 

Oliver only growls and pulls her in for another kiss, after they break away they are both panting. Felicity licks her lips her eyes dilated, “maybe dinner is overrated?”

 

Oliver chuckles kissing her one more time before tugging her towards the entrance of the cave. She tugs on Oliver’s arm bringing them to a stop again, “wait what about Malcolm’s body? He was an evil son of a bitch but he was still Thea’s father. And Ra’s and the league where did they go?”

 

“I’ll talk to Thea about it,” Oliver promises but  she can see that he is pretty fine with just leaving the  man to rot right where he is. “We out numbered Ra’s and he said he’d be back.”

 

Felicity sighs deeply at that declaration, she then looks at Oliver cheekily, “future Felicity and Oliver’s problem? Just for tonight?”

 

“Yes. Tonight let’s celebrate our daughter.”


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter, this story finally comes to an end. I just want to thank everyone who has kept with this story despite the endless delays and set backs. When I started writing this story 2 years ago I never expected it to expand like this, anymore than I expected it to be THIS long. I honestly envisioned a short 3 chapter story now 2 years later and 60k words of work here we are. 
> 
> Once again thank you for sticking with this story, especially those that encouraged me to continue to write it despite the times when I really just wanted to give it all up and delete it. your support meant the world to me, For everyone that took the time to leave a review or kudos, your words meant a lot to me and I appreciate every comment that was left on this fic.
> 
> When I started this fic 2 years ago, it started off as a desire to write Olicity from a third persons POV and do time travel, I never expected to fall in love Ellie as much as I did, and for this story to morph into HER story more than Oliver and Felicity. I got this idea from season 6 of Charmed, and if you're familiar with that story and how it ended, you would understand why I ended it the way I did. It was ALWAYS in my plan to have Ellie die. To me it just wasnt feasible for her to go back to her time, she didn't have a time to go back to, in the very first chapter Barry has that exact thought. Hence the epilogue, to show that everything worked out in the end, but Oliver and Felicity never once forgot the daughter they met, even though briefly.

**_EPILOGUE_ **

 

“Okay, just remember to pick up the cake on your way back.” Felicity whispers softly into the phone, she laughs at whatever the person on the line is saying, “you know how your dad is he wanted to do  _ everything _ . But your sister specifically asked for this ice cream cake. So he’s going to just have to deal with it. Okay I’ll see you to night. Thanks again for doing this.”

 

“Mom!” Sixteen year old Ellie comes bounding down the stairs that leads to the kitchen. Her newly blonde hair bounces the green highlights glaringly obvious under the fluorescent kitchen lights. 

 

“I’m right here Ellie there is no need to shout,” Felicity says with a roll of her eyes. She scans the kitchen and makes sure there is no sight of any of the part stuff on display.

 

“Sara called she wants to go to the movies.” Ellie explains bouncing excitedly, “I can go right? She’s gonna pick me up and we’ll probably just chill there till dinner tonight. I know you like us to spend my  _ whole _ birthday together but…”

 

“Oh no. You and Sara go have fun, Felicity says breezily. “Just be back by 6:30. So are you going with some of your other friends or is it just you and Sara?”

 

Felicity asks curiously trying not to imply anything despite her best efforts. Ellie narrows her eyes looking at her mother suspiciously, “just me and Sae-Sae. You know our birthday tradition.”

 

Ellie smiles softly in thought but when she catches her mother looking at her, she masks her features and tugs on her handbag nervously, “we’ll try not to have too much junk food before dinner.”

 

Felicity laughs, “it’s me you’re talking to, not your dad. Have all the junk food you want kiddo it’s your birthday…”

 

“Don’t say it.”

 

“...treat yo self!”  

 

Ellie groans at her mother’s declaration, “You’re so embarrassing.” 

 

Felicity only laughs in return even more so when Ellie catches her reflection in the fridge and begins to fix her hair. “You look really beautiful, baby.”

 

“Mom.” Ellie moans out in embarrassment her cheeks tinted red. 

 

Felicity ignores her and grabs her handbag, she digs through the contents before she pulls out a small baby pink lipstick, “try this it would look great on you. Always remember a girl is only as fierce as her lipstick.”

 

Ellie laughs but eyes the lipstick with uncertainty she bites her lip in thought, “it’s just a movie with Sara. It’s not like it’s a date.”

 

This time it’s Felicity who bites her lip holding back her thoughts, instead she takes a step forward holding out the lipstick to Ellie silently asking her daughter’s permission to put it on, “so, you think I put on these lipsticks for your father? I do it for me. If you wanna wear it for your birthday you can.”

 

Ellie’s thinks about it for a brief moment but when her mother starts waving the lipstick around she finally relents and nods. Once Felicity puts on the lipstick she grins broadly pulling out her compact mirror and showing Ellie, “perfect! Sara will love it.”

 

When Ellie sends her a suspicious look Felicity quickly adds as she slaps the lipstick in her daughter’s hand, “in case she wants to borrow it. It would look great on her as well.”

 

Ellie is about to comment, but then her phone begins to ring loudly and they both know it’s Ellie’s ringtone for Sara. Felicity can’t help but notice her daughter’s eager expression when she answers the phone, even more so when Ellie’s voice softens as she speaks.

 

“Hey, I’ll be right there.” Ellie promises looking at Felicity with an excited expression.

 

“Go on. Have fun.” Felicity says, “remember be back by 6:30.”

 

“Have fun planning the surprise party! I promise to still act surprised!” Ellie calls out laughing loudly when Felicity curses 

 

“Abby?” Felicity asks unnecessarily

 

“You told the resident blabbermouth, what did you expect?”  Ellie giggled in response runnin back to  pull her mom into a brief hug before she steps back, “rookie mistake Mom.”

 

“Alright, Sara knows what time to bring you back. You two have fun.” Felicity says and just before Ellie heads out the back she adds, “show her the lipstick!”

 

“Are you meddling again?” A voice calls out teasingly as familiar arms wrap around her waist.

 

“I’m not meddling!” Felicity insisted.

 

“Felicity you just told your sixteen year old daughter the lipstick she’s wearing would look good on the girl she has a huge crush on.”

 

“So you see it too right? I’m not just imagining things just cause of what we know?” Felicity asks biting her lip nervously. “She was so happy when she talked about Sara  I’d hate that her sacrifice also cost her love. I know that we’ve been over this but lately…”

 

“Ellie is reminding you a lot of the Ellie we knew?” Oliver concludes.

 

“You see it too! All her life I’ve seen small reminders but when she rebelled  last year and dyed her hair I just got flashes of the Ellie we knew.” Felicity confessed, “and I know we agreed to never tell our Ellie about her but I just can’t help  but worry that she and Sara.”

 

“Honey, Ellie is only 16 she has her whole life ahead of her to fall in love. Sara is still a very important part of her life probably even more important than us at this point in time.” Oliver jokes but at his wife’s unamused expression he continues, “my point is Sara is important to Ellie and that never changed despite  _ everything  _ that as and whether or not it turns into more it’s up to them, not us, okay?”

 

“I know I just can’t help but think about it, and they would be so cute and…” Felicity trails off at the stern look Oliver gives her and releases a longer suffering sigh in exaggeration, “fine I’ll stop meddling.”

 

Oliver laughs and presses a kiss to her forehead, “if it eases your worry, I don’t think Ellie’s feelings are only one way.”

 

“See Lyla insists that as well too, but Ellie is so much like you she wears her heart on her sleeve it’s obvious, but then Sara is so much like John she can be a closed book sometimes and it worries me.” Felicity continues anxiously again, “what if  _ that _ is Ellie’s sacrifice and it’s only one way? What if our Ellie has to suffer heartbreak and…”

 

“Felicity.” Oliver warns again, “even if that were true, which for the record I think it’s very much mutual between those two. It’s none of our business all we can do is be supportive of Ellie, no matter the outcome.”

 

Felicity sighs again leaning her head on Oliver’s shoulder, “I hate when you’re right.”

 

“I kinda like it.” Oliver teases, his hands running through her short blonde hair, “it happens so rarely.”

 

“I just want her to be happy.”

 

“Honey, you know she’s happy.” He consoles, “c’mon help me prepare for Ellie’s not so surprise birthday party.”

 

“You heard that too uh?” Felicity asks with a laugh.

 

“Nope, Abby told me she accidentally told Ellie.”

 

“Of course she did.” They both laugh at their 9 year old who is so much like her grandma Donna. Felicity is most worried for when Abby is a teenager.

 

A few hours later the entire house is in darkness, the guest all gathered in the living room, waiting for Sara and Ellie to return. Felicity is standing in the kitchen peering out the window onto the street looking for Sara’s little blue car.

 

“Honey, is only 6:25 you know how those two can lose track of time relax. Besides Sara already told Lyla they are on their way.” Oliver calls out, leaning against the door frame watching Felicity on her tiptoes as she looks out the window.”

 

“I don’t know why I’m anxious, she already knows about the party.” Felicity said with a laugh. “At least William got here before she did. I was afraid  he would gotten caught up at the fire station.”

 

“Yet you’re still anxious, and it’s not cause you’re afraid the cake will melt. What’s really wrong?” Oliver asks softly.

 

Felicity sighs, “is it that obvious?”

 

“No I just know you.” Oliver says with a smile walking up to her resting squeezing her hand.

 

“It’s silly.” Felicity confesses, “it’s just Ellie is my baby girl you know? And now she’s all grown up and the more and more she reminds me of the other Ellie it just means she’s not going to need me anymore. She’s not my baby anymore. She’s my first baby.”

 

“Honey, it’s not silly it’s expected. It’s different with Will cause he was already his own person when I finally met him. Ellie though she’s our first baby.” 

 

“So you’re feeling it too?” Felicity sighs in relief tugging him into her arms, “I thought I was being dramatic Tommy hasn’t even started middle school yet.”

 

Oliver only laughs in return, “I’ve been feeling nostalgic too. Especially as she’s going to be driving soon and she already basically relies on Sara to take her everywhere since Sara got her own car.”

 

“We sound like my mother.” Felicity bemoans, “she was the same way when I went off to MIT at 16. I’m so glad Ellie was NOT ambitious as I was. I couldn’t handle that. It’s hard enough with William living in Central City for school.”

“Well I don’t know about that. But we just solved one mystery.” Oliver says his face unreadable as he looks through the window. 

 

“What?” Felicity asks confused. She rises on her toes using his chest as leverage and her eyes widen in surprise, “oh my god.”

 

“Oh  _ my God.”  _ She exclaims again slapping Oliver excitedly, “That’s  _ definitely _ not the first time they kissed.”

 

“Alright, let’s give Ellie some privacy. If she knew we were looking...Felicity! Would you stop that.” Oliver demands, trying to pull her away, but Felicity continues to crane her neck over his shoulder to look outside at her daughter who is  _ very _ well acquainted with their best friend’s daughter.  “Oh my god, she just….”

 

“No! I don’t wanna hear it.” Oliver places his hand over her mouth looking down at her pained. He leaned over the counter flicking light switch at the front porch is illuminated with bright light.

Felicity looks out the window again, to see both girls are frazzled and now fixing each other’s hair sending not so discreet looks at the dark house, “Oliver!”

 

“What? I’m happy for our daughter, but she should not be doing that in the middle of the street!”  Oliver grumbles, taking Felicity by the hand and pulling her towards the living room where their guest are gathered.

 

“Mom! Sara and Ellie are back!” 12 year old Tommy bounds towards them already heading to the door.

 

“We were wrong, at least one of our kids will be heartbroken.” Oliver jokes, talking about Tommy who had developed quite a crush on Sara lately, the 18 year old took it with stride and never said anything about it.

 

“Tom! Don’t open the door, it’s a  _ surprise _ .” JJ calls out with a laugh, the 14 year old grabs hold of Tommy’s shirt pulling him back before he goes to open the door, “Ellie has to hope the door so we can surprise her.”

 

There is more shuffling loud whispers from the kids, most of the adults just standing in the background, and Felicity just stands back and watches on in amusement as Abby slips through the crowd making a beeline for William and begging him to pick her up so she can see over the crowd of people. 

 

“Surprise!” 

 

The entire crowd yells loudly as the door opens, Ellie screams, not in fake surprise, but in  _ actual _ surprise when Tommy jumps out from behind the door, legit scaring her. Ellie goes to shove, him but Sara places her hand on Ellie’s back and whispers something to Ellie, making the girl pause. Felicity looks around the room and catches Lyla’s eye. Lyla gives her a knowing look and Felicity touches her nose and which Lyla only grins in response. 

 

Felicity wraps around Oliver’s waist and watches her daughter interact with her brothers and sisters. Laughing with her cousins and ever so often tearing her gaze away to catch Sara’s eyes.  She then looks up at her husband, who is not watching the crowd, but instead looking down at her with warmth, “See? She’s happy. We did good, Felicity.  _ She’s _ good.”

  
  
  


THE END


End file.
